Some major Bay Area companies are starting to add IT contract workers on a three- to six-month basis, and are holding out the possibility their assignments could become full-time staff positions. Some additions are due to IT restructurings, while others result from mergers or acquisitions.  

According to one IT contract firm, companies adding contract workers include Wells Fargo, Pacific Gas & Electric, Charles Schwab, VISA, and Macys.com. "We're seeing demand for a lot of project-based managers, business analysts, and people with ERP experience," says a source at the firm. 

-- Doug Bartholomew