Nearly half of all job postings are elaborate mirages—ghost jobs—designed to lure, frustrate, and ultimately waste the time of earnest job seekers.
Story Snapshot
- Up to 40% of job listings in 2024 are so-called “ghost jobs”—positions that don’t actually exist or aren’t truly open
- Employers post ghost jobs to stockpile résumés, appear dynamic to investors, or keep options open for rare talent
- Recruiters themselves call the practice toxic and misleading, yet it’s spreading in a bleak job market
- Seasoned job seekers can spot ghost jobs and avoid wasted effort by reading between the lines
Ghost Jobs: The Corporate Mirage Draining Job Seekers’ Time
Every job hunter has felt the sting: send out dozens of applications, get a reply or two—from bots—and nothing more. Behind this black hole of silence lurks the unsettling reality of ghost jobs. Companies craft detailed listings for roles that will never be filled, sometimes giving starting dates and even LinkedIn links to feign authenticity. A 2024 survey from Resume Builder estimates that these phantoms now make up a staggering 40% of all job postings. The odds are, if your résumé feels like it’s vanishing into the ether, it’s because it actually is.
Ghost jobs are not a new phenomenon, but their proliferation has reached epidemic proportions amid a sluggish job market. Brandi Britton, executive director at Robert Half, a major recruiting firm, acknowledges that many listings have no hiring manager or real position behind them. Companies, she says, deploy ghost jobs for various reasons—none of which serve serious applicants. Michael Baynes, CEO of Clarify Capital, ran a 2025 survey asking 1,000 U.S. employers why they weren’t actively filling open positions. Their answers reveal a cynical calculus: 37% say their company is “always open to new people,” 22% want a pool of résumés in case of turnover, and 16% are holding out for “irresistible candidates.” For applicants, the result is a cruel game of bait-and-switch.
The Real Reasons Behind Ghost Job Postings
Employers have mastered the art of optics. Posting jobs—not to hire, but to look dynamic—can signal growth to investors or competitors. Some HR departments use ghost listings to build a database of potential talent, ready to call if someone quits or a new project materializes. Others seek to appease regulators by appearing compliant with internal diversity or hiring policies. The most cynical reason: some companies simply want to seem busy or avoid the hassle of taking down old listings. Each rationale leaves job seekers chasing shadows.
Recruiters interviewed by Fast Company are blunt: the strategy is toxic for both candidate and employer. Candidates lose faith and disengage, while companies risk damaging their own reputations. Yet the practice persists because the incentives are misaligned—HR teams get to look productive, while the real cost is paid by the applicant who spends hours tailoring résumés for jobs that never existed.
Spotting and Outsmarting Ghost Jobs
Ghost jobs tend to infest certain sectors: generic administrative roles, entry-level positions, and jobs at fast-growing companies are especially rife with phantom listings. Savvy job seekers learn to read between the lines. Warning signs include postings that never expire, vague job descriptions, or requirements so broad that almost anyone could qualify. If a role is perpetually open, or if you spot the same listing across multiple sites with no updates or feedback, you’re likely staring at a ghost.
Outsmarting ghost jobs requires a blend of skepticism and strategy. Focus on companies with transparent hiring processes and prompt communication. Personal referrals, direct networking, and conversations with current employees can reveal whether a job is real or just corporate vapor. When in doubt, applicants should ask direct questions during the process: Is this a new role or a backfill? What’s the expected start date? Who will I report to? Ghost jobs rarely survive such scrutiny.
