This term is called “ghost job.”
A recent analysis by Forbes magazine examined data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and found that of the millions of job postings this year, many went unfilled because the postings were falsified.
Figures show that 30% of people looking for a listed job are never hired because the job doesn’t exist.
Fake top job listings.
Government role: 60%
Education and medical services: 50%
Information: 48%
Finance: 44%
Leisure and hospitality: 2%
Construction: -44% (more hiring than job openings)
Business analyst Caroline Castrillon explained why some industries post these ghost jobs.
“Companies keep ghost jobs active for several reasons: to build a candidate pipeline for positions that may be filled later; to demonstrate growth during a hiring freeze; to leave approved positions stuck due to budget cuts; to meet internal position requirements or staffing quotas,” Castrillon said.
He also explained how some companies post job openings even if they don’t intend to hire right away, to test market conditions and gauge salary expectations. Additionally, display a certain number of active job postings to meet internal HR metrics or to convince investors that your company is growing.
“In some cases, an administrator may be posting a position that they would like to fill one day, but do not currently have budget approval for, and that posting will remain open indefinitely, collecting resumes that will never be reviewed,” Castrillon revealed.
Other tips Castrillon recommends to avoid being fooled include applying directly on the company’s website and visiting official recruitment pages, where job postings are updated more frequently and only active vacancies are displayed.
“Look for specifics. A vague job description indicates a theoretical role with no real hiring urgency. Red flags include missing a salary range, general responsibilities, and team details. A legitimate job posting includes the hiring manager’s name, includes specific projects or initiatives, and provides detailed requirements that reflect the actual open position,” Kastrillion said.
