The problem is that a lot of the young workforce has been disillusioned and waning since 08/09. Most of these people were already aware that being a commercial

The problem is that a lot of the young workforce has been disillusioned and waning since 08/09. Most of these people were already aware that being a commercial pilot isn't as glamorous of a job as people think; add in shit pay and job instability and you'd have to be crazy to stick with it. My friend graduated from LA Tech in 08 with a degree in professional aviation with the goal of working for ATC or a commercial airline. He initially got a job as a flight instructor making ~$25/hour and was lucky to get more than 20 hours per week. Then the bottom fell out with the economy, massive job cuts across the board at airlines, and he looked for a better job because nobody would be hiring for a long time, everything is seniority based, and he wasn't going to pay out of pocket to keep his flight hours up for a few years. Now he's an accountant.