I appreciate the empathy. I don't have much insight into "other industries", so I believe that even unemployed I would be better off than most (I have an emerge

I appreciate the empathy. I don't have much insight into "other industries", so I believe that even unemployed I would be better off than most (I have an emergency fund after all). We should all be very worried when even ~5% of us can't find work. Sure, in the past it was just part of a cycle and the jobs "came back", but in the meantime it is bad for everyone- employed or not- when the employers have the leverage. Those who are employed are basically stuck- and employers know this. Employer abuse will run rampant. Stay late. Do the work of two people. Put up with your boss's attitude. Quit and they'll replace you within the week with someone a little more desperate than you. There's also no guarantee those jobs are coming back, or coming back within the expected time-frame. How many years was the tech job market "bad" following 2000? 2008? By official metrics, this recession hasn't even formally started yet, even though we've arguably been in one since 2022 or 2023. Even if the timer were to start today and stocks fell 30%, it might be another 2-4 years before companies "recover" and feel like hiring SWEs again. If all that's out there for SWEs are "scraps" that I have to vigorously fight over with other engineers via bullshit hoops like leetcode - I don't think it's worth it. I mean we're at the point where companies are just going to hire whoever they like more from a personality/appearance standpoint. That's just the natural outcome of having five, ten, or fifty otherwise-identical and equally-qualified candidates to choose from.