Ghost Jobs Exposed: 40% of Companies Are Posting Fake Job Listings

You've spent hours customizing your resume. You've written the perfect cover letter. You've researched the company, prepared for potential interview questions, and clicked "submit" with hope.

Then... nothing. Weeks go by. No response. No rejection. Just silence.

Here's the devastating truth: that job probably never existed in the first place.

The Shocking Numbers

We need to warn you upfront—these statistics are hard to hear. But you need to know what you're up against:

• 40% of companies posted fake job listings in 2024
• 3 in 10 companies currently have active listings for roles that aren't real
• 81% of recruiters admit their employers post ghost jobs
• Job openings have outnumbered actual hires by 2.2 million per month since early 2024

Let that sink in. When you apply to a job online, there's roughly a 1-in-5 chance it doesn't even exist.

Why Are Companies Doing This?

This is where it gets worse. The reasons companies post fake jobs aren't just lazy HR practices—many are deliberately manipulative:

Read that second reason again: 63% of companies post fake jobs to trick their overworked employees into thinking relief is on the way—when it isn't.

And the third reason is pure psychological manipulation. They're posting jobs specifically to make their current employees feel replaceable and work harder out of fear.

As we said on the podcast: "That's essentially a form of psychological abuse."

The Business Case for Deception

What's most disturbing is that companies have found this practice works for them:

• 77% of recruiters say ghost jobs have a "positive impact on revenue"
• 68% claim fake postings boost employee productivity
• 7 in 10 hiring managers believe posting fake jobs is "morally acceptable"

They're measuring this. They're tracking the results. And they've concluded that deceiving you is good for business.

A Real Client Story

One of our clients, Paul, came to us after applying to jobs for eight months with zero results.

When we looked at his application history, we could immediately identify the problem: almost all the jobs he'd been applying to fit the pattern of ghost jobs. Many were still posted—eight months later—with no indication of being filled.

This is the reality for so many job seekers right now. You're not failing. You're not unqualified. You're just playing a rigged game where many of the positions don't exist.

How to Spot a Ghost Job

Here are the red flags we teach our clients to watch for:

1. Check How Old the Posting Is

If a job posting has been up for more than 30 days, proceed with extreme caution. Most legitimate hiring processes move faster than that. If it's been up for months? That's a major red flag.

2. Cross-Reference with the Company's Careers Page

If you find a job on Indeed, LinkedIn, or another job board, check if it's also listed on the company's official careers page. If it's on the job board but NOT on their website, something's off.

3. Look for Vague Descriptions

Real job postings are specific about responsibilities, requirements, and team structure. Ghost jobs often use generic language that could apply to almost any role. If the description feels like it was copy-pasted from a template, be wary.

4. Watch for Multiple Identical Listings

If a company has many listings for the same job type across different locations or with slightly different titles, that's often a sign of resume harvesting rather than real hiring intent.

5. Research the Company's Financial Health

For publicly traded companies, check their recent earnings reports. Are they actually growing? Have they announced layoffs recently? A company posting tons of jobs while simultaneously laying people off is a contradiction worth investigating.

6. Look Up the Hiring Manager

If a hiring manager is listed, check their LinkedIn. Are they actually at the company? Do they seem to be hiring for their team based on recent activity?

7. Check Glassdoor Reviews

Look for recent interview reviews. What are candidates saying about the hiring process? Are people reporting that they interviewed months ago and never heard back?

Good News: Legislation Is Coming

Governments are starting to take notice:

Ontario, Canada (January 2026): New laws require employers to disclose whether a job posting is for an actual vacancy and notify interviewed candidates of hiring decisions within 45 days.

California: Passed a law requiring employers to disclose if a posting is for an actual vacancy.

Kentucky: Introduced a bill to outright ban ghost jobs entirely.

Federal Level: A Change.org petition calling for federal ghost job legislation has already gathered 50,000+ signatures.

The Uncomfortable Prediction

Here's something James mentioned on the podcast that's worth considering: ghost jobs might actually decrease soon—but not for the right reasons.

As AI continues to enable companies to do more with fewer people, they won't need to pretend they're hiring. They'll just do massive layoffs instead. The ghost job problem may solve itself when companies no longer feel the need to maintain the illusion of growth.

That's not exactly comforting, but it's the reality we're preparing people for.

What You Should Do Right Now

If You're Job Hunting:

1. Use our ghost job detection checklist (download the free guide below)
2. Focus on networking, not just applications—referrals bypass the ghost job problem
3. Don't take silence personally—it's often not about you at all
4. Track your applications and look for patterns in which companies never respond

If You're Currently Employed:

1. Learn AI tools to make yourself more valuable
2. Watch for warning signs at your company—are they posting lots of jobs but not actually hiring?
3. Build your network now, before you need it
4. Stay informed about what's happening in your industry

For Everyone:

The job market is harder than ever to navigate. Between ghost jobs, AI disruption, and economic uncertainty, you need accurate information and practical strategies.

That's exactly what we provide.

Get the Full Ghost Jobs Guide

We've created a comprehensive "Ghost Jobs Detection Guide" with:

• Complete red flag checklist
• Company research strategies
• Real examples of ghost job patterns
• Scripts for reaching out to verify postings
• Resources for reporting fraudulent listings

Download the Free Guide →

Stay Informed

The job market changes constantly. What worked last month might not work today. That's why we publish regular updates on what's really happening and how to navigate it.

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About What About AI

We're Sean Boyce and James Perkins—two practitioners with combined decades of experience in tech and operations at companies like Vanguard and JP Morgan Chase. We started What About AI because we're seeing this disruption firsthand and want to help people navigate it.

Half of our coaching clients come to us after being laid off and struggling to find work. Our primary mission is to help them get employed as fast as possible—and it's working. But even for those who are currently employed, we teach the same core skill: learning to use AI in your job to make yourself indispensable.