The August job report showed 7.2 million job openings, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 7.4 million unemployed people. Did that mean that there was a job for everyone? It’s not that simple.
Ghost jobs are openings for jobs that either don’t exist or that the employer has no intention of filling immediately. In June, there were at least 2.2 million ghost job postings — between 28% and 32% of all job listings.
Jasmine Escalera, career expert at MyPerfectResume warns, “Ghost jobs don’t just waste job-seekers’ time. They inflate hope, undermine confidence in employers, and create blind spots in the economic data policymakers depend on.”
Employers post these ads for many reasons, such as wanting to give the impression that they are more financially sound than they really are, or just to build a talent pool. So learn to spot the ghost ads before you send in your resume.
Most companies take about 44 days to fill a position. Check the date of the posting and then verify if the job is also listed on the company’s website. If a job has been listed for two months or more and isn’t on the company website, it’s likely a ghost listing and not worth your time to apply.