> Your comment implies European tech workers are somehow less passionate or that passionate tech workers can't be found here.
No, it implies that there are Americans who don't care about their work and there are Europeans who don't care about their work. But the former are far more pricey.
I'm afraid that this is a trend that is only going to accelerate in the new remote-first world that is now the reality for software engineering. Sure, some companies mint money and will always pay a premium for top talent. But for a mature product not bringing in huge amounts of revenue, why pay someone to work remotely in the US (especially in the bay area) versus paying someone a third of that salary in Europe?
No, it implies that there are Americans who don't care about their work and there are Europeans who don't care about their work. But the former are far more pricey.