Is the starting pay fall back to the 5k a month level on average? I believe this is reverse frontloading of bonuses, so that bonuses becoming discretionary (read: reduced) for new associates.

So the oversupply, instead of bringing down legal costs has seen junior lawyers squeezed even harder. And then they get burned out and determined to quit before 5PQE. then our Ministry of Law once again lament we have not enough senior lawyers, not enough community law practitioners. ...