I really don't know - it's an idea I've been thinking about. It may have the opposite affect - having a monetary barrier will force applicants to only apply to

I really don't know - it's an idea I've been thinking about. It may have the opposite affect - having a monetary barrier will force applicants to only apply to jobs they want / are qualified for vs the current state where they apply to everything remotely close to where they want to work. The number of applicants will definitely be 1/10 or even 1/100 of what it was before - but you will get folks who want the job enough to pay for it, and are definitely qualified for it. Free for recruiters and you'll get plenty advertising their vacancies, which should entice more applicants. Then again, the system now works and has been this way for decades - not sure if a role reversal would work at all.