Ghost Jobs Leave Jobseekers Stranded

Ever spent hours tailoring an application only to be met with silence? For many, the culprit isn't poor luck but a vacancy that never existed. Research from recruitment software firm Greenhouse found that roughly one in five online job adverts last year were posted with no real intention to hire. A separate UK-focused study put the figure even higher, suggesting more than a third of listings may be phantom roles. Official US figures add another wrinkle: in August there were about 7.2 million job openings but only 5.1 million hires, hinting at a mismatch between advertised demand and actual hiring. The problem is pushing individuals and policymakers into action. Eric Thompson, a tech worker who lost his job and applied widely without success, has been briefing US legislators and helped craft proposed federal rules called the Truth in Job Advertising & Accountability Act. The draft would require adverts to show expiry dates when hiring is paused or complete, keep auditable records of recruitment activity and impose penalties for misleading listings. His petition has attracted tens of thousands of supporters. Some governments are already moving. New Jersey and California are considering bans on fake adverts, while Ontario will soon force employers to state whether a vacancy is actively being filled. That province will also compel firms with more than 25 staff to notify anyone they interviewed within 45 days — though organisations still won't need to reply to those they never interviewed. Employment lawyers welcome the clarity but worry about limited resources to police compliance. For those hunting for work, the fallout is personal. Applicants report damaged confidence and stress after repeated non-responses. Career coach Jasmine Escalera has heard from people who see the same role reposted time and again — a telltale sign it may be a paper exercise to build a talent pool, inflate growth figures or even harvest applicant data. That practice can also distort labour-market statistics, making it harder for governments to design effective support. If you're trying to avoid wasting time, Escalera recommends networking directly with hiring managers and watching for red flags: multiple re-postings, long-open listings or adverts that never lead to a human conversation. As debate grows, one thing is clear: ghost jobs waste more than time. They erode trust in the recruitment process and leave policy-makers painting by numbers that may not exist. If governments want accurate labour markets, they may need rules and resources to back them up — and employers must be held to account. --- Managing your business finances? TaxAce provides smart online accountancy services for UK businesses with flexible monthly plans. Image and reporting: https://www.bbc.co.uk | Read original article