You are comparing outsourced contractors to salaried employees. The low end of typical contract rates here is, IME, ~$100/hr.

Also, as a rule of thumb, a salaried employee cost twice their salary after benefits and other costs are factored in. Given the median salary I recall from a recent placement company, this is in the region of $300k.

If the reduced physical presence of remote work reduces the value that salaried employees can bring, contracting out work will become more attractive.