Ghost Jobs are Haunting the Job Market

Job hunting is a job on its own, and that's being made all the more difficult by the rise of ghost jobs, and they're haunting the world of work.

A ghost job is a job posting for a role that has already been filled, or does not exist. In short, there is no intent to hire. An employer might post fake job openings for a multitude of reasons. Employees might believe their workload will be lightened by new recruits, improving staff morale. Vacancies might also suggest a company is growing.

Ghost jobs are making their way into the headlines

Hiring platform Greenhouse recently published the findings from their State of Job Hunting report. A survey of 2,500 workers across the UK, US, and Germany reveals that 18-22% of jobs posted on the Greenhouse platform are classified as ghost jobs. The practice is not illegal.

What it means for the already-frustrated job seeker is wasted time and effort. But there are ways to spot ghost jobs. For example, checking when the role was listed. It is also useful to check the careers section of the employer's website.