Aviation cliché no. 126 - 'The last time there was a pilot shortage in the UK was 1939.'
A shortage of experienced FOs or skippers is one thing. Sadly, it has little or no relevance to you guys. There has never been, and never will be, a shortage of wannabes ready and willing to sign their lives away. There have never been, and never will be, enough jobs to satisfy every low-hours wet-ink CPL holder.
The 'pilot shortage' as applied to low-houred inexperienced pilots has never existed and never will. It's a myth that has been perpetuated by the training industry for as long as we've had a training industry. The only thing that varies over time is the number of opportunities for newly qualified pilots, which vary from quite a few to bugger all, depending on the economic climate. There have never been more jobs than applicants.
It's not often I use the word 'never' seven times in one post, but I'm on pretty solid ground here . . .