# What is a ghost job?
URL: https://tolta.ai/glossary/ghost-job
Last updated: 2026-10-12 · Author: Wassim, Founder, Tolta

A ghost job is a job posting that stays published even though the employer is not actively trying to fill the role. People apply, but nobody is interviewed or hired. Greenhouse data has put the share of such postings at roughly one in five, which is why the age and source of a posting matter.

Key points:
- A ghost job is a live posting with no active hiring behind it: applications come in, but no one is interviewed or hired.
- Greenhouse estimated that 18% to 22% of postings on its platform were ghost jobs in a quarter of 2024.
- The US government's job-openings count (JOLTS) only includes roles with active recruiting that could start within 30 days.
- The best quick test: is the role on the company's own careers board, and was it posted recently?

A ghost job is a job posting that stays published even though the employer is not actively trying to fill the role. The listing keeps collecting applications, but no one is screened, interviewed or hired from it. Tolta's [AI job finder](/ai-job-finder) reads new roles on company career boards as they appear, and our guide on [how to spot ghost jobs](/guides/ghost-jobs) covers the warning signs in detail.

## What is an example of a ghost job?

A typical ghost job is a role that was filled, frozen or never budgeted, but whose posting was left up. It may still sit on aggregators months later, or be reposted every few weeks to look fresh. Applicants hear nothing back, because no hiring team is reading the pipeline.

An illustrative case: a company fills its "Senior Data Engineer" opening internally in March. The posting on its own careers board is closed, but copies on two aggregator sites stay live until August. Everyone who applies through those copies is applying to a job that no longer exists.

## How common are ghost jobs?

Estimates vary because each study measures something different. Greenhouse, an applicant tracking system, estimated that 18% to 22% of postings on its platform in a quarter of 2024 were ghost jobs, defined as listings that produced no hiring activity. Allwork.Space reported a similar figure, about 19%, in August 2026, again citing Greenhouse.

Official statistics don't count these postings as openings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics only counts a job as open in its JOLTS survey if a specific position exists, the job could start within 30 days, and the employer is actively recruiting from outside.

## Why do ghost jobs matter for job seekers?

Ghost jobs cost job seekers time and confidence, and they are hard to spot from the listing alone. Every tailored application sent to a posting with no hiring behind it is effort that can't produce an interview, and the silence that follows feels like rejection even when no one looked.

Three habits reduce the risk:

- **Check the source.** Find the role on the employer's own careers page or [applicant tracking system](/glossary/applicant-tracking-system) board, not only on a repost. See [applying on the company website vs LinkedIn](/guides/apply-on-company-website-vs-linkedin).
- **Prefer recent postings.** A role posted this week is more likely to have an active hiring team than one up for months.
- **Watch for reposts.** The same title reappearing every few weeks with no change is a common ghost signal.

Postings found directly on company boards are also the core of the [hidden job market](/glossary/hidden-job-market).

## Frequently asked questions

### How can you tell if a job posting is a ghost job?

No single sign proves it, but several together are a strong hint. Check whether the same role appears on the company's own careers page, how long ago it was posted, whether it has been reposted many times, and whether the description is vague about the team and start date. A recent posting on the employer's own board is the safest bet.

### Why do companies post ghost jobs?

Reported reasons include keeping a pool of applicants for future openings, signalling that the company is growing, and simply forgetting to close a filled role. Some postings are evergreen by design, such as a general sales or engineering pipeline. Not every ghost job is deceptive; many are neglected listings that were never taken down.

### Can a job on a company's own careers page be a ghost job?

Yes. Greenhouse's estimate was measured on employers' own boards, so a posting at the source can still have no active hiring behind it. The source board is a better signal than an aggregator because closed roles disappear there first, but combine it with the posting date and any repost pattern before investing time in a tailored application.


Sources:
1. 1 in 5 job postings aren't real, recent study finds, FOX 5 DC, https://www.fox5dc.com/news/ghost-jobs-greenhouse-analysis (accessed 2026-10-12)
2. Nearly 1 In 5 Job Ads May Be Fake 'Ghost Jobs', Allwork.Space, https://allwork.space/2026/08/nearly-1-in-5-job-ads-may-be-fake-ghost-jobs/ (accessed 2026-10-12)
3. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey: definitions, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/jlt/jltdef.htm (accessed 2026-10-12)