japandwell,
I'd tend to agree the pilot shortage is overstated for the USA; much of the misery self-inflicted by people other than the worker bees. It's a complex puzzle with many moving parts. Here's a link to the most objective treatment of the subject I've seen to date. I think it's actually a doctoral thesis...rather a lengthy pdf but worth the time to read for those who try to understand what's happening here in the USA:
Air Transport Pilot Supply and Demand: Current State and Effects of Recent Legislation | RAND