"Some of the would-be contractors left stable, full-time jobs once they received an employment offer at Google and are now searching for work in a difficult labor market."<p>This is a good example of why it's a good idea for agencies and independents to write penalty clauses into contracts, so that if the hiring company rescinds the agreement, they must compensate the contractor for lost opportunity costs.<p>(On a side note, "employment offer at Google" is a bit misleading; the employer is typically an agency, not Google.)