I think part of it is, there doesn't appear to be any penalty for sitting and waiting for that Unicorn candidate that checks all the boxes and works for peanuts

I think part of it is, there doesn't appear to be any penalty for sitting and waiting for that Unicorn candidate that checks all the boxes and works for peanuts. Most employers already feel empowered to have their existing employees do the work of 2 or 3 people, so not hiring someone for a couple months doesn't affect them.