Ghost jobs are job postings for roles that a company isn't actively trying to fill, at least not soon. You apply, hear nothing, and later see the same advert reposted. It's one of the most demoralising parts of job hunting, and it isn't your fault. The useful skill is learning to spot ghost job postings quickly so you can spend your energy on openings that are real.
This guide explains what ghost jobs are, why companies post them, the warning signs, how to check whether a job is real, and how to protect your search.
What are ghost jobs?
A ghost job is a listing that stays visible even though there's no live intention to hire for it in the near future. Common situations:
| Situation | What's going on |
|---|---|
| Role already filled | The advert was never taken down, or was filled internally |
| Hiring paused | Budget was frozen but the listing stayed up |
| Pipeline building | The company wants a pool of CVs for future roles |
| Internal candidate already chosen | The role must be advertised by policy, but someone is lined up |
| Signalling growth | Openings make the company look busy to customers, investors or staff |
| Reposted automatically | Job boards or software keep refreshing an old listing |
Some of these are deliberate and some are just neglect. Either way, the result for you is the same: time spent on an application that was unlikely to go anywhere.
Are ghost jobs the same as job scams?
No. A ghost job wastes your time. A job scam is designed to take your money or personal information. Treat scams far more seriously.
The US Federal Trade Commission lists warning signs of job scams, including:
- Being asked to pay for the job, training or certification. The FTC says honest employers "will never ask you to pay to get a job."
- Being sent a cheque and asked to send part of the money back or on to someone else. The FTC warns these cheques are fake and you'll owe the bank.
- "Jobs" that involve receiving packages at home and reshipping them.
- Promises of a lot of money for very little work.
In the US, report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. Elsewhere, report to your national fraud reporting service and to the job board where you saw the advert.
Stop applying and hoping. Start preparing.
Practise the real work of your target role on a job simulation, get a scored report, and get matched to openings that fit your skills. Free to start, no card.
How can you tell if a job posting is a ghost job?
Look for several of these signs together. One on its own doesn't prove anything.
- It's been up for a long time. Weeks or months with no change, or it keeps reappearing as "new".
- It's reposted again and again. Same title, same text, regular new posting dates.
- The description is generic. No team, no projects, no named manager, a long wish list of skills.
- It isn't on the company's own careers page. You only find it on job boards or aggregators.
- The salary and location are vague where similar adverts give details.
- The company has had recent hiring freezes or layoffs in the same team, yet the advert stays up.
- Huge applicant counts with no movement. Job boards that show applicant numbers may show the count climbing for months.
- No response at all. No acknowledgement, rejection or contact after you apply, from anyone.
- The "always hiring" label. Some companies say openly that a listing is for future roles. That's honest, but treat it as a talent pool, not a live vacancy.
- Current employees don't know about it. If someone on the team says they aren't hiring, believe them.
How do you check whether a job is real before applying?
Spend five minutes verifying before you spend an hour applying.
| Check | How |
|---|---|
| Is it on the company's own careers site? | Search the company's website directly, not through the job board |
| How recent is it? | Look at the posting date and whether it has been reposted |
| Is the role specific? | Look for a team, a manager, a location, and concrete responsibilities |
| Is the team hiring? | Look up people in that team on LinkedIn; ask one politely |
| Does the recruiter confirm it? | Message the recruiter: "Is this role actively hiring, and what's the timeline?" |
| Any disclosure? | In Ontario, check whether the posting says it's for an existing vacancy (see below) |
Example message to a recruiter (illustrative):
Hi [name], I'm interested in the [job title] role posted on [date]. Before I apply, could you tell me whether it's actively hiring and roughly what the timeline looks like? I have [one relevant line about you]. Thank you.
A real recruiter on a live role is usually happy to answer. Silence is information too.
Are there laws against ghost jobs?
In a few places, rules now push employers to be clearer. The clearest example we could verify is in Ontario, Canada.
According to the Ontario government, for publicly advertised postings from 1 January 2026, employers with 25 or more employees must:
- State whether the posting is for an existing vacancy. Ontario defines that as a position that is imminently available for a qualified candidate to fill. The rule doesn't require the employer to fill it.
- Tell interviewed applicants whether a hiring decision has been made within 45 days of the interview (or the last interview, in most cases).
- Disclose AI use if AI is used to screen, assess or select applicants.
- Include expected pay or a pay range, with some exceptions.
- Not require Canadian work experience in the posting or application form.
Rules elsewhere vary and are changing. Check your own country's or state's labour department for current requirements. This is general information, not legal advice.
Why do companies post ghost jobs?
Reasons companies give, or that recruiters describe, include keeping a pipeline of applicants for future roles, meeting internal rules to advertise every role, leaving listings up after budgets change, and wanting to look like a growing business. Sometimes it's just that nobody took the advert down.
Knowing the reasons helps you take it less personally. A missing reply often has nothing to do with your application.
How do you protect your job search from ghost jobs?
Change where you spend your time.
- Apply early. Prioritise roles posted recently. Set alerts so you see them first.
- Go direct. Apply on the company's own careers page where you can.
- Use referrals. A referral gets your application in front of a person and tells you whether the role is real. See job search strategy.
- Target companies, not just listings. Build a list of organisations you'd like to work for and follow their teams and hiring managers.
- Track everything. A simple spreadsheet with date applied, source and follow-up date shows which sources actually lead to replies.
- Follow up once. A short, polite note a week or two after applying is fine. Our follow-up email after interview guide has templates you can adapt.
- Invest in being ready. When a real opening comes, the strongest candidates are the ones who've practised the work.
If you've been applying for months with little response, the problem may not be ghost jobs alone. Our guide to can't find a job helps you find where your search is breaking down, and job search depression covers looking after yourself when it's dragging on.
What should you do with your time instead of mass-applying?
Fewer, better applications plus preparation. Keep a small, steady flow of tailored applications to verified roles, and spend the rest of your time making yourself a stronger candidate:
- Tighten your CV for your target role (see ATS-friendly resume)
- Learn one skill that keeps appearing in adverts (see skills to learn)
- Practise the actual work of the role with a job simulation
On Cohesyve you can practise on job simulations of the real work in your target role, see a scored report showing where you lost marks, and get matched to jobs that fit your skills. Its browser extension also saves jobs from anywhere on the web, so you can keep verified openings in one place.
FAQs
What is a ghost job posting?
A job advert for a role the employer isn't actively trying to fill soon. It may already be filled, on hold, or used to collect applications for later.
How common are ghost jobs?
Surveys and reports give different figures, and we haven't found an official measure we can verify. Assume some of the listings you see aren't live, and check before investing time.
Is it illegal to post a ghost job?
Generally not, on its own. Some places now require more transparency. In Ontario, Canada, larger employers must state in public postings whether the role is an existing vacancy, from 1 January 2026.
How long should I wait before assuming a job is a ghost job?
There's no fixed rule. If a posting is months old, keeps being reposted and nobody responds to a polite enquiry, move your effort elsewhere.
Should I still apply to old postings?
If the role is a great fit and it's on the company's own site, a quick application is fine. Just don't let old postings make up most of your search.
What next
Verify before you apply, put referrals and recent postings first, and spend the time you save preparing. When you want to show employers what you can do, Cohesyve lets you practise on simulations of real work and get matched to jobs. Free to start, no card.
Sources
Checked 3 November 2026:
- Government of Ontario: Requirements related to publicly advertised job postings
- US Federal Trade Commission: Job scams