The phenomenon of "ghost jobs," where employers list positions online without the intention of filling them, is causing increasing frustration among job seekers in America. A study by Greenhouse, a recruitment software provider, indicates that up to 22% of online job postings in the US, UK, and Germany last year were not genuine hiring opportunities. Another study in the UK suggests the figure might be as high as 34%. The discrepancy between job vacancies and hires is evident in the official data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, which shows 7.2 million job vacancies in August, but only 5.1 million hires.
The issue gained spotlight through Eric Thompson, a tech worker with over two decades of experience. After being made redundant from a startup, Thompson spent two months applying for a multitude of positions without success. His experience led him to discover the reality of ghost jobs and to establish a working group advocating for legislation against false job advertising in the United States.
The proposed legislation, titled The Truth in Job Advertising & Accountability Act, seeks to establish expiration dates for listings, auditable hiring records, and penalties for posting misleading or nonexistent roles. Thompson's initiative has garnered over 50,000 signatures on a petition, along with numerous accounts of how ghost jobs have negatively affected job seekers' confidence and mental health.
State legislatures, including those in New Jersey and California, are beginning to address the issue, with Ontario, Canada, setting a precedent. Starting January, companies in Ontario will be required to disclose whether a job vacancy is actively being filled and firms with more than 25 employees must respond to applicants they've interviewed within 45 days.
Employment lawyer Deborah Hudson, based in Toronto, has been consulted by companies aiming to comply with the new regulations. However, she expresses skepticism about enforcement due to limited government resources. Despite this, Hudson acknowledges that complaints can be filed and investigated.
The problem of ghost jobs is not limited to North America. There is a lack of legal requirements to reply to job candidates in Canada, the US, and the UK. As of now, no legislative action is being taken in the UK to combat ghost jobs or recruitment ghosting.
