[Buckeye McFrog]

At the higher-skill end of the spectrum, those who have been out of work for years may find that their skillset has been leapfrogged by technology, and it's cheaper/more efficient for employers to poach workers from competitors than it is to train workers who lack the specific skills needed.

In other words, employers have become TOO DAMNED CHEAP to invest even one penny of their own money into employee training, and instead have bought into the big lie of the education establishment that they can churn ready-made employees out of colleges and universities who are ready to go to work with no training.

Maybe "too damned cheap" isn't quite accurate. More likely MBA's who are trained to turn their nose up at anything that does not produce ROI within 90 days are making these decisions.

[proxy_user]

A lot of this has to do with the faster pace of business these days. If you suddenly discover or decide you need a project done in 90 or 180 days, and you don’t have suitable workers to do it, you have little choice but to run out and hire skilled people. In many cases, contractors who charge high rates will get the job.