One of the best ways someone can make a good living for themselves is to run their own business. Not that it’s for everyone, but being in the driver’s seat of your own income instead of depending on someone else for a wage is very much the definition of American individualism, even if an individual is simply contracting for a larger firm.
I don’t think there’s necessarily a shortage of workers, but I think there’s a shortage of people willing to work for the peanuts these conglomerates are offering. Competition is severely hampered when large firms corner their respective markets and drive out smaller competitors, because now they are the ones in charge of the respective workforces and are calling the shots, including how much an individual is allowed to make. Smaller firms with lower overhead are able to disrupt them, as long as the playing field is level and the barriers aren’t the Dover cliffs.