If lots of companies that have a need can&#x27;t fill that need at a price they can afford, that is by definition a shortage. Of course a company could hire a worker if they spent enough money; even in the middle of a famine, you can find food if you have enough money.<p>Are there a lot of engineers sitting around unemployed, not taking these jobs that are offered because they aren&#x27;t paying enough? I don&#x27;t think that is the case - if there were, those people would start taking those jobs at the lower pay.<p>Since this isn&#x27;t the case, imagine what you say starts happening - those companies with openings raise the pay enough to find a candidate. Where do you think that person is coming from? Not a pool of unemployed engineers, but from  a pool of engineers working at other companies. So now, that  other company has an open position. You have not changed anything, just shifted the problem to another company.<p>Sure, an individual company can deal with a shortage by just paying more, but that doesn&#x27;t fix the industry wide issue.<p>I know as engineers, the shortage is great for us. It drives up our wages, and it benefits me greatly. I make a lot more than most other industries. But that doesn&#x27;t mean there isn&#x27;t a shortage.