So you won't deal with recruiters, are only willing to work remotely, and don't want to look at any place boring... and you think that the unemployment rate has a lick of anything to do with why you can't find a job?

I'm fine not working remotely, but the opportunities aren't really abundant in my city. And it doesn't seem all that unrealistic to not want to be shoved into a dusty cubicle making a frameworkless procedural PHP application to replace Excel spreadsheets for a company that sells shady SEO consulting services.

There is nothing stopping you from taking that boring job while continuing to look for a more interesting one. It's not as if you are forbidden from sending CVs and interviewing after you start. Plus, a steady pay check helps extend the burn rate.

I have a job and like it, but I will eventually want to move on and make more money.

It sounds like you have to figure out which one of your variables has to give in addition to your "remote//no-remote" toggle -- not moving, no boring work, no "unethical to my standards" work, and like this.

Agreed

I don't know if it's particular to my city (Boston), but when I've worked with recruiters they've almost always led to interviews and offers. They have a good handle on what the hiring companies are looking for and how to position candidates to at least get a foot in the door. They're also annoyingly persistent and can dig into companies and bug the hiring manager directly, going around HR, which yields better results most of the time.

I wouldn't be so dismissive of recruiter spam, if you're really looking for responses back from companies.

Thanks - these responses have convinced me to give them another try and try to find a good one.

Bear in mind two things if you're looking for a software dev position: 1) most software dev is fairly boring, but often you can make of it what you do. You can make it boring or interesting. 2) it's not for life. Every job is a stepping stone.