Is it just me...

[dzadza]

I'm top rated (that doesn't mean much, apparently), paid membership - and in the past 12 months, I didn't get one job! Actually, I did get a few minor jobs from a previous client - but not a single one from a new client. I sent 76 proposals, 16 were viewed, I was interviewed 3 times - two were very obvious scammers). I'm not boosting my proposals (most of those jobs expire anyway - with no one getting hired). I understand if the client is not happy with my design style, but really? Only one interview for the whole year? My returning clients percentage is 100 - no surprise there, since I only have one client...
Out of 76 job postings, only around 10 were actually awarded...are clients seeing only boosted proposals and the rest of us are ending in some kind of "nah, not for you" folder?

[otas32]

My feeling is that for some reason, expectations from customers now are incredibly unfair when it comes to pricing.
Two years ago, I would apply at least to a couple of jobs per day. Where both job extension and the proposed budget were relatively balanced.
Now it's ridiculous what clients are expecting to pay for work. And when you see a higher budget, the amount and level of work again, do not even come close to the budget.
There have always been cheap clients, that later complain about the quality of work they get for their ludicrous offers.
But lately, that's over 97% at least of the offerings.
I rarely log in now. Frustrated and disgusted by what I see, and amazed and outraged at seeing people willing to work for those prices, even if from countries where the cost of living is much lower or the average income is also extremely low.

So what I would think is happening in your case, is that you are always beaten by an overwhelming amount of lowballers, pitching their proposals for even lower budgets than the already insulting amounts clients propose.

I wish a platform like this regulated more fairly what is being paid to the workforce they offer to pay customers, but in the end, as long as money is coming in through commission work, it makes no difference to Upwork how low the pay is, they still get 20 cents on the dollar, and their staff and site maintenance costs are only a fraction of that income, especially since they don't invest in a customer support call center per say. 

The worst part is, that besides **Edited for Community Guidelines**, they are still one of the better options, even if this non-regulated open market policy really affects their breadwinners: the freelancers. (btw, motivational marketing material doesn't make up for crazy low rates).