I think we're talking about different things: contractors are paid more than regular employees doing the same thing. And they don't have any benefits the actual employees have.
> Also, the pay was somewhat lower. I was fresh out of uni so I didn't know better.
What you describe is outsourcing, not contracting.
The body shop and their client call it contracting. If one will follow the mantra of "words mean whatever people use them as" then this is contracting.
> Also, the pay was somewhat lower. I was fresh out of uni so I didn't know better.
What you describe is outsourcing, not contracting.