If you've been job hunting lately, you might have felt like you're shouting into the void. You spend hours tailoring your resume, crafting the perfect cover letter, and hitting "submit" on application after application—only to hear nothing back. What if I told you that some of those jobs you're applying for never existed in the first place?
Welcome to the world of "ghost jobs."
What Are Ghost Jobs?
Despite the spooky name, ghost jobs aren't a Halloween phenomenon. They're job listings that companies post with no real intention of filling them. Sometimes the position has already been filled. Other times, it was never available to begin with.
And this isn't just a minor annoyance—it's a widespread problem affecting job seekers across the US, UK, and beyond.
Recent research from Greenhouse, a recruitment software provider, found that up to 22% of online job postings last year were ghost listings. Another UK study put that figure even higher at 34%. To put this in perspective, US Bureau of Labor Statistics data from August showed 7.2 million job openings but only 5.1 million actual hires.
That's a massive gap.
One Job Seeker's Mission for Change
Eric Thompson knows this frustration firsthand. After more than 20 years in the tech sector, he was laid off from a startup in October of last year. Over the next two months, he applied to hundreds of positions—senior roles, junior roles, everything in between. Nothing.
That's when it clicked: many of these jobs simply didn't exist.
Rather than give up, Thompson channeled his frustration into action. He formed a working group and began meeting with US Congress members to push for legislation against fake job postings. His proposed bill, The Truth in Job Advertising & Accountability Act, would require expiration dates on listings, auditable hiring records, and penalties for misleading postings.
His petition has already gathered over 50,000 signatures, and the messages he receives tell a heartbreaking story. Job seekers describe how ghost jobs have destroyed their confidence and damaged their mental health. Thompson calls it "shameful"—and he's right.
The Double Whammy: Ghost Jobs and Ghosting
Ghost jobs aren't the only problem. There's also "ghosting"—when companies simply never respond to applicants. Not even a simple "thanks, but no thanks."
Ailish Davies, a marketing professional from Leicester with over a decade of experience, calls it "soul destroying." She recalls spending hours on tailored applications only to hear nothing. In one case, a hiring manager even asked for her interview availability, she responded, and then... silence.
"Employers should treat job seekers with more compassion because the current job market is not a nice place to be," Davies says.
Why Do Companies Do This?
Career coach and recruitment expert Jasmine Escalera has researched this question extensively. Through surveys of hiring managers, she's uncovered several motivations:
Building talent pools. Some companies post jobs not to hire immediately but to collect resumes for future positions.
Inflating growth. Other companies want to appear like they're expanding, even when they're not.
Data harvesting. In some cases, companies are collecting applicant information to sell.
Escalera warns that ghost jobs create a ripple effect beyond individual frustration. They skew labor market data that governments use to create policy and support systems. When the data is wrong, the policies that follow will be too.
What's Being Done About It?
Progress is happening, but it's slow.
Ontario, Canada is leading the charge. Starting January 1, companies must disclose whether advertised positions are actively being filled. The province is also requiring companies with over 25 employees to respond to interviewed candidates within 45 days.
New Jersey and California are considering similar legislation.
But in most of the US and UK, there are currently no legal requirements for companies to respond to applicants—let alone to ensure job postings are real.
How to Protect Yourself
Until regulations catch up, here's what Escalera recommends:
Network directly with hiring managers. Real conversations with real people at the organization are your best bet for confirming a position actually exists.
Watch for red flags. If you see the same job posted repeatedly over weeks or months, it may be a ghost listing.
Trust your instincts. If something feels off about a posting, it probably is.
Job hunting is hard enough without companies posting fake positions. Every ghost job represents hours of wasted effort, crushed hopes, and damaged confidence for real people trying to build their careers.
Eric Thompson, Ailish Davies, and countless others deserve better. We all do.
As this issue gains more attention from lawmakers and the public, hopefully change is on the horizon. Until then, stay vigilant, keep networking, and remember: if a job posting feels like a ghost, it just might be.