This is the best jobs market, especially for tech workers, in our lifetimes -- among the best in history. I'm not sure why anyone would give up looking for work unless they just prefer to retire.
Meanwhile a crumbling 2BR single family home is $800k and insulin is $300 a vial.
Not only that, but a lot of these jobs are ones where these awfully-paid workers have to risk their lives (especially during the height of the COVID pandemic, before the vaccines, when being on the front lines meant risk of death).
If they don't risk their lives many of them risk their health and sanity to a much greater degree than people in much cushier jobs with much higher compensation.
They also face greater job insecurity, because they're seen as completely replaceable cogs, maltreated at will and fired when no longer useful.
Why aren't more people eager to get such shitty jobs?
A few reasons:
First, they can't afford to quit. Many people in low-paid jobs are living paycheck to paycheck and have to feed their kids and pay their bills, so can't afford to quit to find another job (and are too busy to look while working).
Second, there might not be any better options in their area.
Third, inertia, fear of change, exhaustion, and depression, which make doing things that take risk and initiative difficult.
They are filled with threads bemoaning how awful work is these days and how hard it is to find a job.
Some sample thread titles:
"A 9-5 job that pays a living is now a luxury"[2]
"America is not lacking in skilled employees, America is lacking in companies willing to hire and train people in entry level roles"[3]
"3 to 5 years is NOT entry level"[4]
"Employers this is why you aren't getting any employees."[5]
"Job Hunting again, and it sucks. Please have all Certifications, a degree in at least 3 fields, and 20 years for this internship"[6]
And many, many more threads along those lines.
Whether or not these complaints reflect the reality of the job marketplace as a whole, it's clear that a lot of people are super frustrated and dejected, and it's not surprising to me in the least that some (many?) would give up altogether.
Some people who work in tech and rolling in dough are completely out of touch with how tough it is for millions of people outside of tech and some other very in-demand fields.
That's not to mention depression and burnout, which even those in in-demand fields are not immune to.
[1] - https://old.reddit.com/r/jobs/top/ (make sure to select of "all time")
[2] - https://old.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/obq9ew/a_95_job_that_...
[3] - https://old.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/jo6lc7/america_is_not...
[4] - https://old.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/pkfho0/3_to_5_years_i...
[5] - https://old.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/pde5ow/employers_this...
[6] - https://old.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/m846a0/job_hunting_ag...
Show actual data to back up your hypothesis.