Where are you? Here we hire engineers with a CEO rate of pay (well, almost...)
I am a Technician not, yet, an Engineer, I am still finishing school for that.
Ohio has lost much industry and jobs have gone overseas, as well. When much of the Auto Industry failed, after the Steel Mills, and other industries failed, the results are many engineers were laid off.
So for the last few years, companies that do use Technicians from Technical Temp Agencies, were able to request Engineers, rather than Techs @ a Technician pay rate.
They say we are getting more jobs here, in Ohio. Problem is, no one seems to know where. Of the jobs that are left, many have changed over to part-time and even getting one of those is difficult.
A few years ago, the Sunday Newspapers used to be 3-4 inches thick with half of it being Jobs. Even the daily papers were 1 inch thick with 1/2 being jobs (I know this, as I assembled and delivered the newspapers in both urban and rural areas).
Now, the jobs section is on about less than 1/2 page and is only a few small columns.
The biggest increase in jobs has been in telemarketing, which they now call telecommunications. This is not the Telecom I worked in, LOL. I did test, final inspection to the component level and was blessed to also work in some pretty cool R&D have also worked in the field as well.
The new telecommunications is all part-time calling to sell services. Not something they would hire a deaf person for.