I've seen a number of articles on this topic recently, from several industries. The common story seems to be "we're hiring, and we're getting five times as many resumes per position as before, but only half as many qualified applicants."<p>Companies aren't looking to hire dead weight right now. In very good times, people with weak skills can get work just because whatever little thing they can do allows the stars freedom to work on bigger-money projects. But in a bad job market, you really have to boost your skills up to the level employers are still willing to spend money bringing in.