The fact it is all these EAS cities, and not just low-performing ones, screams pilot shortage + fuel prices. Not sure what the government response will be.
I've done the calculus on flying into little EAS airport in midwestern Kansas/Nebraska (Hays, Salina, Kearney, North Platte, even been to Goodland, Great Bend, Scottsbluff and McCook) vs flying a connection to LNK/ICT or nonstop to MCI/DEN/OMA for 30 years. If it's a short connection, and you've got someone to pick you up, much easier to fly into the EAS city. If you're bringing the family or the connection is lengthy, it's faster/cheaper to fly nonstop and drive. (Much easier to get to Europe than Kansas) From the east coast, overflying to DEN and then back adds 50% additional mileage to the trip. The newer flights with convenient connections through ORD on a CRJ were a game changer for getting there; way better than waiting 3 hours in DEN to bounce around in a 1900D. Downgrading to some 9 seater shifts it back to flying to MCI and driving.
Many of these cities have maintained service with single digit passengers on the flights for decades. My last trip was in September to Kearney and was quite surprised how full the flight was, probably 85%.
This article claims 70% LF on ORD-EAR flights in 2021.
They don't
all need service, but some of them do. Salina and Hays both don't, but one probably does; Kearney and North Platte both don't, but one of them (or Grand Island) does.