I have heard for at least the last 7 years that there is a shortage of engineers in the US. I never believed it because I can name 5 Electrical Engineers off of the top of my head that have never been able to find positions in the Electrical Engineering (EE) discipline. Also, when I graduated from college (the first time), I was not able to find a traditional EE job, and ended up taking a position doing mostly software.
I came across this article the other day that confirms my suspicions. There is no Engineering shortage in the US. It is a fabrication.