Business Daily – The Rise of the 'Ghost Job'

BBC World Service | Host: Megan Lawton | December 18, 2025

Overview

This episode of Business Daily delves into the phenomenon of "ghost jobs"—fake, outdated, or placeholder job listings posted by companies with no intention of actually filling the role. Host Megan Lawton speaks with job seekers, legal experts, and recruitment specialists to examine the impact of ghost jobs on individuals and labor markets, explore new legislative efforts, and offer advice to those navigating today’s challenging job search landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Are Ghost Jobs? (01:18–01:47)

• Definition: Ghost jobs refer to job postings that appear genuine but are not intended to be filled by the employer.
• The phenomenon is not restricted to any one industry or country; it’s widespread in the US, Canada, and the UK.
• Notable Data: "As many as four in 10 companies say they have posted a job listing this year that simply doesn't exist, while 3 in 10 say that they are currently advertising for a role that isn't real." (E, 01:47)

2. The Experience of Job Seekers (02:38–03:20, 05:24–09:43)

• Eilish (UK Job Seeker): Spends entire days searching and applying for jobs, only to often find those listings are not real.
  • Quote: "If I had a pound for how many times this has happened to me, I would no longer need to work because I would be sipping a margarita on a beach somewhere." (E, 03:00)
• Eric Thompson (US, Tech Industry):
  • At first skeptical, he experienced ghost jobs firsthand after redundancy: "I was trying to advance my career...then I got to the point where I was making downgrade moves...I kept finding more and more jobs that just weren't responsive." (D, 05:53)
  • Submitted over 3,000 resumes, received fewer than 100 responses, and less than 5 interview requests. (D, 08:01)
  • Emotional Impact: “It took my breath away and was a little overwhelming to know that I wasn't alone in the dark.” (D, 08:12)
• Job Search as a Full-Time Job: "Looking for a job is a full-time job and you actually work harder looking for a job than you do when you've actually got the job." (E, 08:28)

3. Legal Responses & Attempts to Curb Ghost Jobs

Ontario, Canada Legislation (04:00–04:56, 15:56–17:06)

• Deborah Hudson (Employment Lawyer):
  • Starting January 1, 2026, companies with 25+ employees must update candidates within 45 days post-interview and disclose if a vacancy is being actively filled.
  • "We're hopeful for change, we're hopeful for transparency and we just are looking for fairness, reduction in bias in hiring." (C, 04:43)
• Skepticism: “How are they actually going to monitor and regulate this...I don't think that the government has resources to be having investigations on what's happening or not.” (C, 15:56)

The US and Advocacy (05:24–07:05, 17:06–18:13)

• Eric Thompson started the Truth in Job Advertising and Accountability Working Group, proposing:
  • Mandatory "nutrition label" for job listings—key information validated by posters.
  • Mandatory notifications when a job is filled; listings can't stay up indefinitely.
  • Nationwide petition with 50,000+ signatures (as of recording).
• Other States: Some states like California, New Jersey mandate labeling of “contingent” or “standing” jobs but lack enforcement power.
  • "They don't have teeth, they don't have that economic incentive for companies to behave because a lot of them don't have fines, a lot of them don't have the penalties to enforce the behavior..." (D, 17:28)

4. Why Do Companies Post Ghost Jobs? (13:03–14:13)

• Dr. Jasmine Escalera (Recruitment Expert):
  • Reasons include building a talent pool for future hiring, inflating hiring metrics, and, less commonly, collecting or selling data.
  • Quote: "They might be posting these positions to actually create a talent pool...They also could potentially be inflating numbers so trying to show that the company or organization is growing when they're actually not." (F, 13:15)
• Further Risks: Some overseas firms may data-mine resumes for competitive insights. (D, 13:49)

5. The Broader Impact of Ghost Jobs (15:01–15:35)

• Data Distortion: Ghost jobs skew employment data and hinder meaningful policy.
  • “We use this data to develop policy...if that data is somehow skewed, then we're not really able to create the policies or the support that job seekers and employees need.” (F, 15:09)

6. Platforms’ Response (18:13–18:48)

• Indeed: "Ghost jobs are a clear violation of our policies…should be connected to a real employer that’s actively hiring…" (A, 18:22)
• LinkedIn: Policies require real, verified postings; automatic closure after six months; stricter recruiter verification introduced recently. (A, 18:33)

7. Advice for Job Seekers (18:48–19:58)

• Dr. Escalera’s Tips:
  • Network: Direct conversation with company employees is the surest way to confirm a job’s reality.
  • Watch for Red Flags: Repeated postings, or jobs open for more than 2–4 weeks, may signal ghost jobs. "If you see that a job is being posted multiple times during a certain timeframe or that the job posting has been around and open for a while…there is a little bit of a question there that you have to ask..." (F, 19:23)
  • Exercise due diligence and intentional research before applying.

Memorable Quotes

• "I dread to think how many times that this has happened to me. And it’s scary how rife it is."
  — Eilish (E, 03:00)

• "We have in our bill...information that is required to be part of every job posting. And everybody who posts the job has to validate that information so that they know it's real, they know it exists."
  — Eric Thompson (D, 07:05)

• "It's just a horrible feeling and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy."
  — Eilish, on being ghosted after an interview (E, 09:55)

• "We use this data to develop policy...[but] if that data is somehow skewed, then we're not really able to create the policies or the support that job seekers and employees need right now."
  — Dr. Jasmine Escalera (F, 15:09)

• "Looking for a job is a full-time job and you actually work harder looking for a job than when you've actually got the job."
  — Eilish (E, 08:28)

Major Segments & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic/Segment | |-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:13 | Introduction to the concept of “ghost jobs” | | 02:38-03:20 | Eilish discusses the impact of ghost jobs on her job search | | 04:00-04:56 | Ontario’s upcoming legislation explained | | 05:24-08:12 | Eric Thompson’s journey, research, and advocacy work | | 09:43-09:55 | Eilish’s first-hand account of being “ghosted” after an interview | | 13:10-13:41 | Dr. Escalera on companies' motivations for ghost jobs | | 15:09-15:35 | Ghost jobs’ impact on employment data and policy | | 17:14-18:13 | Shortcomings of new US state-level laws | | 18:13-18:48 | Job platforms' statements and steps to address ghost postings | | 18:48-19:58 | Dr. Escalera’s job seeker advice |

Conclusion

The rise of ghost jobs is causing widespread frustration for job seekers and distorting employment data used for economic policy. While new laws and awareness campaigns are emerging, enforcement challenges remain. Job seekers are encouraged to network, look out for telltale red flags, and conduct deliberate research to avoid wasting time on non-existent roles.