Ghost Job Economy: 1 In 7 Job Postings Are Ghost Jobs, New Study Reveals
You’re treating every application like it matters. You research the company, tirelessly match keywords, and follow all the online advice to optimize your resume for ATS ... But what if that effort is being poured into jobs that don’t even exist?
A new study of more than 175,000 U.S. job listings found that about one in seven job postings remain active for more than 30 days, leading to a phenomenon known as “ghost jobs.”
“Ghost jobs” occur when a job advert is posted or remains on a job board career site but is not actively hiring, hence the ghost effect.
The study, led by Clarify Capital, revealed that the top five industries with the greatest percentage of ghost job listings are:
Wholesale (51%)
Mining (48%)
Biotechnology (43%)
E-commerce (37%)
Sustainability (35%)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelwells/2026/04/09/1-in-7-job-postings-are-ghost-jobs-new-study-reveals-here-are-3-steps-to-avoid-fake-job-ads/