I was stunned to receive the "these are the rates we have to bid to win..please try to meet them" notice from the prime on a recompete we're in the middle of. Stunned. Silly low numbers with a silly low fee on top.
Supply and demand. They see an economy were jobs like this are scarce. Factor in people don't want to uproot their family and all that goes with moving. The cream is getting skimmed off, but most will take a cut and come back because their family is here. I swear one day there will be ads geared to the H1B visa program.