I've never heard the expression before, but my understanding of the phrase is that the "salariés" are just people looking for work (would-be salariés if you like, as against freelancers and their ilk) and there are a lot of them about, and so, as in any situation where supply exceeds demand, the "price" falls and your outplacement services client correspondingly finds its margins much reduced. I don't think it refers to the salariés (employees) of the company itself.

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Note added at 2003-08-26 16:34:27 (GMT)
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Changed my mind, after reading the \"constat de carence\". This outplacement company DOES employ its own staff, then farms them out elsewhere, right?
In which case, these are staff who it hasn\'t placed, so the company is earning nothing from them, but to whom a salary is still being paid? Hence, the profit margins being eaten into at an enormous rate.
So, I stand by \"in between contracts\", but for slightly different reasons !!

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Note added at 2003-08-26 16:42:54 (GMT)
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Ah, your clarification has just appeared, I\'d swear it wasn\'t there before !
Although, I\'d still reckon on \"inter\" representing \"(in) between\" rather than interimaire, I admit your analysis makes a lot of sense. I promise not to say another word!