When Eric Thompson lost his job in October 2024, his search for new work quickly collided with a frustrating trend familiar to many job seekers: the so-called “ghost job.”
The experience irritated him so much that he’s now spearheading a national push to outlaw the practice. Thompson, 53, has assembled a group of eight professionals to draft the Truth in Job Advertising and Accountability Act (TJAAA) — proposed federal legislation that would make ghost job postings illegal.
Thompson first heard the phrase in 2023 when a friend complained about submitting application after application without ever hearing back. Soon, he realized the problem might not be silence from employers, but that many of the postings weren’t real openings in the first place.
What is a ghost job?
A “ghost job” is a listing that a company posts without any immediate intention of hiring for it. Employers may do this to stockpile resumes for later, give the appearance of fast growth, or keep a job open as part of routine high-volume recruiting.
The issue is widespread: nearly 17% of postings on Greenhouse in Q2 2025 were for positions companies never planned to fill, according to data shared with CNBC Make It.
For job seekers, this translates into wasted hours and mounting discouragement. “Right now, there’s nothing illegal about posting a job and never filling it,” says Thompson, who lives in Warrenton, Virginia. “It’s really hard to prove, and that’s why it’s fallen into this legal gray area.”
The TJAAA proposal
In May, Thompson’s working group unveiled its first draft of the TJAAA. Among other requirements, the proposal would mandate that employers disclose:
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The target hire date and anticipated start date
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Whether the role is a new position or a backfill
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If internal candidates will be given preference
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How many times the job has been posted in the past two years
It also sets posting limits: jobs must remain live no longer than 90 days and open for applications at least four days before employers can review them.
The legislation would apply to companies with more than 50 employees, with fines starting at $2,500 per violation. Thompson says a federal law is necessary since state-level measures can’t easily regulate multi-state postings or third-party job boards.
Gaining traction in Washington
Thompson dedicates 20–30 hours a week to lobbying efforts, including nearly 30 meetings with Congressional staff. So far, lawmakers have expressed interest but admit they’re stretched thin. “We’ve heard a lot of, ‘We’d support this if it came to the floor, but it’s not a priority right now,’” he explains.
For now, the group is focused on building a grassroots campaign to pressure legislators to elevate the bill.
Part of a larger movement
Momentum is growing beyond Thompson’s efforts. Starting January 1, 2026, new rules in Ontario, Canada, will require employers to update candidates on their application status and ban ghost job postings altogether. In the U.S., states like New Jersey, Kentucky, and California are weighing their own transparency laws around hiring and job ads.
Thompson, who has never done advocacy work before, says the learning curve is steep but worthwhile. “This is something a lot of people recognize as a problem,” he says. “But once they land a job, they tend to forget it ever happened. That’s why we have to keep pushing.”