The "just pay more" arguments are fighting back at the semantic sleight-of-hand in calling it a "labor shortage" in the first place.
"Labor shortage" frames the issue in a way that faults workers, not the business.
"Labor shortage" frames the issue in a way that faults workers, not the business.
I've never thought of that as assigning fault to either engineers or employers. More how non economists describe demand being stronger than supply.
If that is how some people are actually reading it, I understand the confrontational responses more, though!