Typically, the client has to pay the agency a (usually large) fee if they want to permanently hire an employee.

So it's something between the employment agency and the employer. My employer said she didn't sign anything-- either she's wrong or else it's perhaps something I signed. Either way, it doesn't look good for me.

The agency is your employer. The person at the client site (where you work) may not be aware of a contract but somewhere that language exists. It might be in what you signed. Don't get discouraged. Over the years I have worked temp and there were several opportunities offered. The hiring company (where you work) has to pay some sort of 'damages' or 'indemnity'. If it's a small company where you are working, it may be more informal. Good luck!

I just found this: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/09/28/how-to-turn-your-temp-job-into-a-permanent-one/

I appreciate your input, your good wishes, and the link!!

The temp agencies I worked for had an agreement that you had to work through them for a certain period of time before you could move over. For me, the trouble was that I worked for years with the same companies as a temp because they didn't want to pay up for benefits. It was a poverty trap. I'll never do that again.

I'm amazed at how cheap so many companies are-- even ones rolling in dough!!

One way is the company pays a flat fee to the agency. I got a job this way and the fee was 25% of my annual salary.

The other way is to do a temp-to-perm arrangement where they pay the company a higher hourly rate than normal to spread the fee out over 90 days (typically).

over the years but this time around I don't seem to be getting the nibbles.

what the client pays the agency and the client doesn't know how much we (the temps) make.

If a temp makes, say, $15/hour, you can be sure the agency charges the client $45/hour.

At least, that's my understanding.

45-55% of the hourly to what the employer pays. So if an employer is paying $19.20/hr for their temp then $12/hour is going to temp employee and $7.20/hr is the agency fee. A lot of the temp agencies are responsible for your work comp & other insurance. I only dealt with clerical/admin temps. This was just for the fee but when it was a temp to hire situation then you had to also do a buy-out and that depended on how long the employee had been temping for you.