IMHO when companies announce that there is a worker shortage, what they are actually stating is that the negotiating power in the current job market may be shif

IMHO when companies announce that there is a worker shortage, what they are actually stating is that the negotiating power in the current job market may be shifting away from corporations These corporations may have started having some issues retaining key employees and discovered that expertise and takent doesn't spring from nowhere, which affects productivity to their surprise as highly skilled employees aren't growing on trees and can't be replaced as soon as their employee leaves. So before they need to do something about working conditions (i.e. absurdly long hours and stressful environment) and wages they instead try to manipulate the job market by requesting a sudden influx of canonfodder to shift the negotiating power back into their hands.