Is it just me, or are hiring freezes subtly creeping in?

Been trying to backfill a critical role in my team for months now, and it's been a nightmare. We've gone through multiple rounds of interviews, and every time, it feels like the goalposts shift. Either the budget gets pulled back, or HR suddenly tells us the "profile" has changed and we need to consider "internal candidates" who frankly aren't qualified. It's beyond frustrating. This isn't just a slow hiring season; it feels like a deliberate slowdown, almost like a soft hiring freeze is in effect without anyone officially announcing it. On top of that, any requests for new resources or even standard equipment upgrades are getting shot down with vague "budgetary constraints." It's making it incredibly difficult to get work done efficiently. Has anyone else encountered similar roadblocks when trying to bring in new talent or secure necessary resources? Curious if this is a wider trend across ConEd or if I'm just in a particularly challenging spot.