Pete, your 2 cents is right on the money, imho. There's been a vicious cycle of high prices for simple jobs leading to more DIY interest, leading to fewer simple jobs for the skilled tradesman, who has to charge higher prices to cover expenses, let alone make the living he deserves. Scam artists lowball jobs, give the legitimate tradesman a bad name, to the point where I, for one, am scared to death to call a "pro" plumber without an ironclad reference. Even with such, the last one I tried to hire simply never showed up and never responded the messages left.
I have friend who's a retired executive now running a small handyman business out of a trailer. He does a whole gamut of work, charges what he thinks the client can pay (which for some is zero), has a lot of fun, and covers his expenses. A lot of less-well-off working people and retirees depend on folks like him, where in the past (my past, anyway) "real" plumbers, electricians, etc., could do these little jobs and charge similarly. Since they no longer can, or will, they lose the little jobs, and don't get the word-of-mouth support that might get them the big ones.
It's not just the trades; other areas are similarly affeected. Medicine is starting to be affected by the same factors -- the Internet, DIYers armed with a huge array of OTC medicines, and walk-in clinics staffed by nurses. There's no such thing as a doctor-patient relationship any more, as doctors are forced to see 30 to 45 patients a day to make ends meet. Medicare is about to lower approved fees by 5%, medicare/caid fraud is widespread, and the quality of care is in the toilet. Which may be good for plumbers.
Where are the 1950s when we need them?