My (SWE) job search this year has been exceptionally slow compared to past years. It's discouraging when the statistics don't reflect that, and pundits talk abo

My (SWE) job search this year has been exceptionally slow compared to past years. It's discouraging when the statistics don't reflect that, and pundits talk about correcting high salaries for devs — for those of us without jobs, we're having a hard time getting an interview at all, forget about salary negotiation. I'm not sure how aggregate job posting statistics are collected, but the difference compared to a couple years ago is pretty stark. There are fewer job postings, for one, and more agency postings — meaning, 10 agencies posting for the same job. Except I can't get them to call me back either. Many positions I apply for just disappear without the usual automated "thanks, maybe next time" email. The one promising lead I had (with multiple interviews) went poof — they didn't fill the position; just stopped interviewing for it.