Try harder. I could make the excuse that there is no work for me in Pocatello. There are no employers in the area that have need of my services. Solution? I'm doing work for people all over the country. Linux based weather servers in Santa Barbara, CA. Telematics work for major auto companies in concert with another organization in Dayton, OH. Railway safety hardware/software systems in association with a group in Mclean, VA.
If you can't find work in your local area, then go somewhere else where there is work that you can do. The classified ads are the absolute worst place to look for a job. You need to target a company that does something of interest to you. Find out what problems they are facing. Put together a proposal to fix the problems and offer your services to get the job done.