I'm based in Europe and that's not really a far flung, rural region overall, but I have yet to receive a single inquiry through HN. On the other hand, just because I'm posting here as a "seeker" doesn't mean I'm actually out of a job - it just means I'd love to do some work within the HN community.

It might be interesting to know how many people actually got projects or jobs through this page. That would make it easier to benchmark my own listing.

For what it's worth, I don't believe there is any developer shortage at all, except maybe occasionally in unstable and hip niches.