Job vacancies that are advertised but never intended to be filled, often referred to as “ghost jobs,” are becoming a documented and persistent issue in the US, UK, and parts of Europe, affecting job seekers, employers, and policymakers who rely on hiring data. Studies and official figures show a gap between advertised openings and actual hiring, while governments begin to consider measures to address the practice.
Ghost jobs refer to roles that appear in job listings even though they are already filled, paused, or were never available. Research by recruitment software provider Greenhouse found that up to 22% of jobs advertised online last year across the US, UK, and Germany had no intent to hire. A separate UK study placed the figure at 34%. In the US, Bureau of Labor Statistics data from August showed 7.2 million job vacancies but only 5.1 million hires.
Growing political attention in the United States
In the US, attention on the issue has been raised by Eric Thompson, a tech worker with more than 20 years of industry experience. After being made redundant from a start-up in October last year, Thompson spent two months applying for hundreds of roles without success.
He said he applied to positions at different seniority levels before concluding that some advertised jobs did not exist. The experience led him to form a working group calling for legislation to ban misleading job adverts.
Thompson has been meeting members of Congress and helped draft proposed legislation known as the Truth in Job Advertising & Accountability Act. The proposal includes expiration dates for job listings when hiring is paused or completed, auditable hiring records, and penalties for employers that post misleading or non-existent roles. He said he hopes members of Congress will sponsor the bill.
He has also launched a petition that has collected more than 50,000 signatures. Thompson said many signatories shared messages describing how ghost jobs damaged their confidence and affected their mental health, which he described as “shameful.”
Separately, lawmakers in New Jersey and California are also considering bans on ghost job listings.
Ontario introduces disclosure rules
In Canada, the province of Ontario is introducing new requirements. From 1 January, companies will have to disclose whether an advertised vacancy is actively being filled. Ontario is also addressing a related issue known as recruitment “ghosting,” where employers do not respond to candidates.
Under the new rules, companies with more than 25 employees must reply within 45 days to applicants they have interviewed. There is no requirement to respond to candidates who were not selected for an interview.
Deborah Hudson, an employment lawyer based in Toronto, said companies have already contacted her seeking guidance on compliance. She questioned how enforcement would work, saying she doubts the government has the resources to actively monitor employers, though complaints can still be investigated.
Elsewhere in Canada, as well as in the US and UK, there is currently no legal requirement for employers to reply to applicants, and there are no active plans in the UK to regulate ghost jobs or recruitment ghosting.
Impact on job seekers
Job seekers say the practice has a significant personal cost. Ailish Davies, a marketing professional from Leicester with more than 10 years of experience, said being ghosted by both small firms and large corporations is “soul destroying.”
She said the time spent tailoring applications without receiving any response can be demoralising. Davies described an instance where a hiring manager requested her interview availability and then stopped responding. She said employers should show more compassion given current market conditions.
Jasmine Escalera, a career coach and recruitment expert based in Miami, said she first noticed the issue through women she coached. She said clients repeatedly saw the same roles reposted and questioned whether they should apply again. According to Escalera, repeated applications to such roles can severely affect morale.
Why companies post ghost jobs
Escalera said her research points to several reasons companies post listings without immediate hiring intent. Surveys of hiring managers showed some firms post roles to build a talent pool rather than to hire straight away. Others post vacancies to suggest growth, even when headcount is not increasing.
She also said she has encountered cases where companies post jobs to collect and sell applicant data.
Escalera warned that the practice distorts labour market data used by governments. She said inaccurate vacancy data can affect policy decisions and reduce the effectiveness of support for workers and job seekers.
For job hunters trying to avoid ghost jobs, Escalera advised networking directly with hiring managers. She said real conversations with employees are a sign that a role exists. She also pointed to warning signs such as the same job being reposted repeatedly or listings that remain open for long periods.
Featured image credits: The Blue Diamond Gallery
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