>Rates are already down; at least I've been on the look and cannot find anything comparable enough for me to make the move.

This is another wave. The current one is on permanent employees, thus less contracts available, thus, it is bringing down rates. It has started since two years in Montreal and will last for x amount of years. When the wave was to hire consultants, the rates were high and companies got used for work like that with the advantages that it would bring them. At least, in Montreal, that's the second time, I see this in about 10 years. So, it changes fast but changes a lot.