There was a year or two of relief for job seekers in the wake of the COVID19 half-measures where higher-ups had their HR departments unclench their worthless assholes just enough to give someone a chance at actually getting hired. It was, in my lived experience, much easier to get favorable responses to applications and then 'pass' interviews in 2020 and 2021 than at any other point in my life, including right now. Your suspicions are correct, businesses are absolutely back to cherrypicking applicants, it's like trying to get hired during the 2008-2009 peak of recession again.