Pam,
According to your post, you and I entered the business the same yr. I definitely agree with you concerning fees decreasing and/or work increasing. As we are both aware, though, until shoppers stop working for a pittance, which I do not think will occur, fees will, as Retro stated, continue to fall.
Shoppers are faced with the alternatives to either seek work in another field or to adapt. In my case, jobs in categories 1 & 2 are few and far between. As it applies to #2, leisure, I choose not to compete with folks who are willing to work for zero fee and possibly even semi-FREE food, while being required to eat what they may not desire and/or being served in a manner they would not elect if not shopping. Add in a plethora of pics, some of which require a snapping contortion, and I have little work in that category.