Seems to be an OK method to some.
I guess when times get tight quality goes down with the price.
It would make more sense to give a higher quality when the market is tougher, that way you get the HACKS out of the business. We are already seeing it here(CA) The CSLB, contractors state licensing board, sends out a bi-annual letter. In the letter one of the things listed is the revoked licenses, this normally is 3/4 to 1 page. The most resent letter had over 5 pages of revoked licenses. This is a weeding out of people that should not be in the business. Once you have the job the main concern should be doing it well, not cheap. Code minimum is just that MINIMUM, and in most cases it is not even safe. Why because no one checks to make sure that the intent of the code was met, so while it can be said "it meets the code minimum,because you can use EMT as the ground path." no one has "VERIFIED the ground path" and proving the ground path is the true code minimum, not just connecting to the emt as the ground path.
Remember "cream rises to the top". If you are the cream you can give a superior product, at the same price, because you have something the HACKS don't KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE, and it doesn't cost more because you already have both.