The American job market is currently being hollowed out by "ghost jobs," performative listings with no immediate intent to hire, according to a study released by Enhancv.
In fact, Enhancv’s research suggests that a significant portion of the "Phantom Market" is being used by corporations as a tool for growth signaling and competitive intelligence gathering.
"We are moving toward a low-trust economy where the friction of finding talent will eventually cost more than the 'free' data companies are currently trying to extract," says Volen Vulkov, co-founder of Enhancv. "When 37% of job seekers are losing actual money to engage with a company’s brand, we aren't just looking at an HR problem, we're looking at a systemic breakdown of the professional social contract."
Key takeaways:
· Nearly half of all candidates are chasing illusions, with a substantial number paying a "ghost tax" out of their own pockets to pursue roles that do not exist.
- 47% of candidates have applied for roles they later discovered were non-existent.
- 37% of job seekers are paying a "ghost tax" reporting direct out-of-pocket expenses, including travel, childcare, and paid certifications, while chasing phantom listings.
- Senior professionals are the most frequent targets, with 51% of workers with 8-plus years of experience reporting encounters with ghost jobs, often used to extract free consultative advice during the interview process.
- Marketing and tech sectors are the most "polluted" with 87.5% of marketing professionals and 85.7% of tech workers reporting deceptive listings, the highest rates across all industries.
- The "Rejection-Repost Loop" is a primary red flag for 16.1% of candidates, who see a role reposted as "brand new" immediately after receiving an automated rejection.
- A total collapse in candidate trust is underway, with 12.1% of respondents completely abandoning major job boards, citing them as too saturated with fake opportunities.
- The tech sector shows a 46.8% gap between reported openings and actual hires, suggesting a heavy reliance on "evergreen" listings that never close.
