There is no US pilot shortage and there never will be. What there most definitely will be is shortage of US pilots willing to work for the crap wages and conditions currently on offer at all the US Regional airlines.
This was no problem when US Regionals could hire 250 hr wonders straight into the right seat and there was no shortage of applicants who would work for 17 K a year. Now that all copilots have to have an ATPL I am hearing the supply of new cannon fodder has dried up. The new FDTL rules are just going to exacerbate the problem as under the new rules flying the same number of revenue flight hours is going to need 6 to !0 % more pilots
Pinnacle, the current leader in the race to the bottom has the most unattractive pay and conditions and apparently has almost no current applications from pilots that are credible.
Since almost half of all the domestic emplanements are flown on regional tin it is hard to see how this segment will be viable in the long term with the new higher standards unless T & C's get significantly improved.