You can't extrapolate your position, where you're in a very specific discipline, and having to take a 40% paycut with no benefits into claiming that the job market is fine.

It's most certainly not, and it's a disaster despite your personal anecdotal claims.  Numbers that look at the entire industry and not a few execeptions, they bear that out.

With all due respect, I don't believe I implied that the job market is fine.  Quite the opposite.  I was pointing out that yes, while I was able to find a job quickly, it was a significant downgrade.  AND it's J2....and I'm looking for J3 as well.  I used to be upper middle class with one job now I'm looking to work 3 just to live a lower lifestyle.  Which I don't mind from a quality of life perspective but I do mind from a financial obligation perspective. 

The trend I'm noticing is lower pay for advanced skills.  Management holds the power now and because they are largely amoral they will be motivated primarily by greed.  I had 2 rounds of interviews with a startup and they wanted the moon for mid-level pay.  The acted as if partnering with Microsoft and Meta was a form of compensation.  The project was mobile drivers licenses.  Glad I didn't get the job.

What I'm saying is that just to be employed one will have to make big sacrifices.  My sons dropped out of the job market for exactly the reasons you mentioned.  They are in community college learning skills that hopefully will land them better opportunities than fast food or unskilled labor.