Tackling the Rise of Ghost Jobs and Recruitment Ghosting

You apply, you wait — and never hear back. But what if the job was never real in the first place? In this episode, we uncover the growing phenomenon of so-called “ghost jobs” and why they’re becoming a serious problem in today’s labor market.Based on an in-depth news transcript, this episode explores the widespread practice of employers posting job vacancies with no real intention to hire. Studies suggest that a significant share of job listings across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany may be misleading or entirely fake, distorting labor market data and wasting millions of hours of applicants’ time.The discussion examines why companies engage in this behavior — from building talent pipelines and signaling growth to investors, to more controversial motives like collecting and selling applicant data. These practices not only undermine trust but also inflate official employment statistics and take a heavy psychological toll on job seekers.The episode highlights emerging efforts to fight back, focusing on proposed U.S. legislation — the Truth in Job Advertising & Accountability Act — championed by tech worker Eric Thompson, which would require expiration dates for job ads and impose penalties for deceptive postings. It also looks at Ontario, Canada, which has introduced new rules forcing employers to disclose whether a position is actively being filled and to respond to interviewed candidates, while raising concerns about enforcement challenges.As governments begin to respond, the question remains: will regulation be enough to clean up the modern job market? This episode provides essential context for job seekers, employers, and policymakers navigating an increasingly opaque hiring landscape. Subscribe for more deep dives into work, economics, and the forces shaping our professional lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-world-between-us--6886561/support.