Last time I checked a regional airline ticket was still pretty expensive compared to a hub-to-hub ticket. Regional planes are usually full, so no wasted space. And the regional pilot has to make more take off and landings per day, which is the part of the flight that you actually need a pilot for since autopilot does the rest...
Any people in the know out there care to take a poke at it?

...and no disrepect to Home Depot employees intended. I love you guys but you didn't spend tens of thousands of dollars to get the license to do your job.

They are not paid very well at all... That is why they use retired pilots or licensed student pilots trying to get their wings.. They are known as Bush pilots in the Pacific North West..
Now you know the rest of the story.....

I ask myself that very same question every time I think about my husband's student loans for a license that he can't even use at the moment since they've raised the minimum multi engine hours.