do you have any quantified evidence of this or is it just a gut feeling
The last position I put up for a regular .net, jboss and sharepoint position had over 300 applicants, several vastly overqualified.
I work in the public sector, so it’s not exactly because we offer what most developers consider “dream positions” and we certainly don’t offer a good salary.
Interesting how this contrasts with the widely-held perception that there is a programmer shortage.
Readers who just deleted emacs in despair should keep in mind that parent is hiring for Danish government position, not exactly the hotbed of software development or skills demand.
However, those of us living outside that handful of cities have a totally different experience, regardless of how good we are or how much experience we have. There just are far, far fewer jobs outside that handful of American cities.
And many of us are unable to just up and move due to a personal situation (sick relative, illness, spouse's job, etc.). It's just worth bearing in mind that your experience as a developer is somewhat the exception in the US, not the rule. At best, it's a 50/50 split between devs in the cities I mentioned above and the rest of us.