Ghost Jobs Are Everywhere. Here’s How to Spot Them

There Are Millions of Jobs… So Why Is No One Getting Hired? Because of something called ghost jobs, which are getting out of control and making it impossible to find a job right now.

They are making job seekers frustrated due to long waits and minimal responses from employers, despite millions of job openings. In September 2023, there were 9.6 million available jobs, but only 150,000 new hires were made, indicating that only 1.56% of job seekers were hired.

This situation is partly due to a new strategy by employers, developed in response to the "Great Resignation" caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, where many workers left their jobs, creating a surplus of openings. To avoid being caught short-staffed again, many companies now create numerous job listings without the intention to fill them immediately, instead using these "ghost jobs" to build a talent pool for future needs.

A survey by Clarify Capital revealed that 70% of job postings remain open for over 30 days, with 10% staying open for more than six months. Some companies keep listings active to appear as if they are growing or to motivate current employees. In 2023, the average hiring process took 44 days, and 1.7 million potential ghost jobs were found on LinkedIn in the U.S. alone. Additionally, over 30% of UK job listings were identified as ghost jobs.

Ghost jobs have become a tool for companies to shape perceptions, but they also cause significant frustration for job seekers, who invest considerable time and effort into applying for positions that may not exist.

This practice is unlikely to end soon, as it offers numerous benefits to businesses, forcing job seekers to adapt to a longer, more competitive application process.