They are definitely being serious, but you gotta think about how many people are applying for a limited amount of jobs. There are probably hundreds upon hundreds of people on file for a handful (or less) of spots.

When it comes to what employers are looking for, it is anyone's guess as every employer/individual is different. Often if you have too much time you are categorized as over-qualified (my wife's father is a GV PIC with 10,000+ hours and has been actively looking for a job for over 2 years now to no avail), or too little time and it's not competitive with the rest of the pack.

We're in a VERY tough industry/time right now, one that will be talked about many years into the future (assuming it does get better).

Just my 2 (often worthless) cents.