A ghost job is an ad for a position that does not exist or is already filled. You can spot most of them by checking four things: whether the role is on the company's own careers page, how long the ad has been up, whether it keeps being reposted, and whether the text names a real team and a real start. If an ad fails two of these, ask the recruiter whether the role is open before you apply.
What a ghost job is
Wikipedia's article on ghost jobs (checked 2 November 2026) defines one as an advertisement for a non-existent or already filled position. Companies post them for many reasons, and few of them are about you. The article lists, among others: making the company look like it is growing, collecting CVs for a talent pool, meeting an internal rule that a role must be advertised even when an inside candidate is chosen, and telling an overloaded team that help is coming.
How common they are depends on who measures and how. In January 2025, Fox Business, citing a Wall Street Journal report on a hiring platform's data, reported that one in five job listings is fake or not filled. Surveys of employers and of job seekers give different shares, because they count different things. The useful takeaway is simpler: a real share of ads will never lead to a hire, so it pays to check before you apply.
Some places now require employers to say whether a vacancy exists. In Ontario, Canada, publicly advertised job postings made on or after 1 January 2026 by employers with 25 or more employees must state whether the posting is for an existing vacancy, according to the province's guide to the Employment Standards Act (checked 2 November 2026).
Signs an ad may be a ghost job
- It is not on the company's careers page. If a board shows the ad but the company's own careers site does not list the role, the board copy may be old.
- It has been up for a long time. An ad that is still live months after posting, for a role that is not hard to fill, is a warning sign.
- It keeps coming back. The same title at the same company, reposted every few weeks, can mean a role that is never filled, or a pipeline the company keeps warm "just in case".
- The text is vague. No team, no manager, no product, no location detail, and a list of requirements that could fit any company.
- It says "talent pool" or "future opportunities". Some ads say plainly that they collect CVs for later. That is honest, but it is not an opening.
- The company is cutting staff. News of layoffs or a hiring freeze next to a fresh ad for the same department deserves a question.
- Nobody ever replies. If you and others hear nothing at all, not even a rejection, the role may never have been staffed.
One sign alone proves little. Evergreen ads for roles a company hires all year (support, sales, warehouse work) can look like ghost jobs and still be real.
Four checks before you apply
- Find the role on the company's careers page. Search the company's site for the title, or look at its applicant system (pages on hosts such as myworkdayjobs.com, boards.greenhouse.io or jobs.lever.co). If the role is there, apply there. Our guide to jobs on company career pages shows how.
- Check the posting date. Many careers pages show when a role was posted. If the board says "2 days ago" and the careers page says four months, trust the careers page.
- Search for earlier copies. Search the exact title with the company name. If the same ad appears with several older dates, it is being reposted.
- Ask. Send the recruiter a short message: "Is this role still open, and what is the timeline for the first interviews?" A real opening gets a real answer.
How gojob.now helps
gojob.now reads company careers portals every hour, alongside the job boards, so you can see the employer's own copy of an ad and apply there. When a careers portal stops listing a role for a few days, the job is archived and leaves the job lists. When a portal lists it again, the job history says it was reposted, and a job with the same title as one you already applied to, were rejected from or passed on at that company says so on its card before you spend time on it.
Career page job alerts send you new roles from the companies' own sites, by email, in the app or in Telegram, soon after they appear. Fresh roles from the source are the simplest way to avoid stale ones.
FAQ
Are ghost jobs illegal?
In most places, no. A few places now regulate them: Ontario requires larger employers to state whether a posting is for an existing vacancy. Laws differ by country and change often, so check your local rules.
Is a job posted 30 days ago a ghost job?
Not by itself. Many real roles take a month or more to fill. Age matters more when it combines with other signs, such as reposts or no listing on the careers page.
Should I still apply to a suspected ghost job?
If the role is a strong fit, apply on the company's careers page and ask the recruiter whether it is open. Just do not count on it, and keep applying elsewhere.
What is the difference between a ghost job and a job scam?
A ghost job is posted by a real employer with no real plan to hire. A scam is posted to take money or personal data from you, for example by asking for a fee or your bank details. Never pay to apply.
How do I report a ghost job?
Most job boards have a report link on each ad. Use it for ads that are clearly closed or fake.