The reason the mins are so low for many places has to do with getting the chief pilot's son, interns, etc in the front door faster than some who have slogged it out at the regionals for a decade to get 1000 TPIC.
If you arent one of the above then you better get 1000 TPIC if you plan on getting hired at the beginning of a hiring wave. Zero PIC candidates will become furlough fodder when they are hired at the end of the wave.