>it’s MUCH easier to get hired by a contract company

That's an ever growing part of the workforce that nobody touches on.

So much of the labor market, even skilled, is just contractors and "consultants." The parent org gets to keep toting their benefits plan for the special few, meanwhile the majority of people you see or interact with have zero PTO and a $6500 healthcare deductible.

Contracting needs to be reigned in, but America is an anti-worker nation at heart.