Cognitive Disorder on the Employment Scene

California Bob writes (part 1):

I got an email from an agency in San Diego. They are looking to fill a temporary AR position in Orange County for 3 months, for $16 an hour. And they want to know if I know of anybody.

WTF? In this environment they must have people beating down the door for any kind of job. Why would they have to cast around to fill this crappy position? Let alone send emails to Northern California, saying "Do you know of anybody in your network...?"

Another thing: I see LOTS AND LOTS of ads for accounting jobs, many right in this area, asking for specific cost accounting experience in the tech industry, which matches my experience exactly. I'm surprised to see the ads, considering there are massive layoffs in the news every night. Nonetheless I send out lots of resumes, but get zero response. This doesn't make sense to me either.

I think I must be missing something. Feels a bit like being in the Franz Kafka International Airport.

Prague's Kafka International Named Most Alienating Airport
His cohorts reply with well meaning but useless advice, and so we get Part 2:

I'm saying, given the recession and all the recent layoffs, I expect the job market to behave a certain way. It's not behaving that way and I'm wondering why. When things don't make sense, someone is usually lying.

Employers often have obscure motivations for advertising jobs they have no intention of filling. So all the ads can be explained.

Why agents are reaching out as though they're having trouble filling positions, I can't explain. A lot of people are just trying to look busy these days, maybe that's the simple explanation.

"Jesus is coming, look busy."

Update January 2017 replaced missing video.