I agree. Most of the least competent developers I have worked with in the past have been contractors. I assume the instability appeals to them because they ca

I agree. Most of the least competent developers I have worked with in the past have been contractors. I assume the instability appeals to them because they can move on before anyone realises what a pig's ear they have made of everything. Most of the highly competent developers I have worked with have spent 7 or more years in one organisation. From my anecdotal experience, therefore, tolerance to short-term disruption is negatively correlated to ability. However, I would be reluctant to make any assertion that links potentially unrelated traits like these. In my (again, anecdotal) experience, organisations with more stable positions have a greater proportion of people who value that stability for its own sake e.g. those with primary care responsibilities (e.g. for children or disabled dependents); those with voluntary commitments (e.g. scout leaders, special constables); and people who have cause to worry about discrimination (e.g. those from demographics that are poorly represented elsewhere in their profession). That correlation would be one that I would be slightly more comfortable to assert.