… and he mentioned all the places he applied to (he's a red seal trained cook) have said there are hundreds of applicants. I accept the resumes in my place and there were five (5) applicants. All had formal education and were looking fir $20 per hour. My place offered $16.
People want to work. They are not swamped with applications. They are gaslighting you to exploit you. Stick to your guns. Fuck these guys.