Mine have not been all that great here in the Southeast of the US.

I live in a pretty high-tech area that is on the rise. Technical skill is greatly needed in many fields of work. Databases work is especially high in my area for good SQL or Oracle guys. NoSQL is starting to pick up, but not as much as the top RDBMS's

Most agencies I have talked to have very little knowledge of IT. This in return, causes them communicate the potential opportunity incorrectly to you and then either oversell or undersell you to the potential client (employer). This causes a lot of issues on both ends from whether you know exactly what you are getting into to knowing if you even have a matching skill-set for the gig.

Due to this, I think I will personally try to go to all employers directly in the future. But, the idea of an agency is good. If you can find one that knows your position and the opportunities you are seeking, then it can be a really good thing. They have the time to meet you, talk with you and get you in front of the employer versus a traditional means where you can only separate yourself with your resume.