Greenhouse says that 18–22% of the jobs posted on its hiring platform in any given quarter were “ghost jobs”—positions advertised with no intent to hire. That is a platform-specific estimate, not proof that one in five online job postings nationwide is fake. And a role that is never filled is not automatically a ghost job: an unfilled outcome does not establish that the employer lacked intent to hire.
What the “one in five” figure measures
The estimate comes from Greenhouse, a hiring-platform vendor. Its December 2024 account says 18–22% of jobs posted on its platform in any given quarter were classified as ghost jobs, which Greenhouse defines as positions advertised with no intent to hire. The figure describes listings on Greenhouse, not all employers, job boards, or online postings. Greenhouse’s public account does not provide enough detail about the classification rule, denominator, company sample, or validation to independently reproduce the result. Greenhouse’s 2024 report states the estimate and definition.
The headline phrase “fake or never filled” comes from secondary coverage of Greenhouse proprietary data cited by The Wall Street Journal. It combines two different ideas: “fake” suggests an employer’s intent, while “never filled” describes what happened to a vacancy. Gizmodo’s January 2025 account links the headline figure to Greenhouse’s data; the published Greenhouse article defines ghost jobs by intent, not simply by whether a hire occurred. Gizmodo’s report provides that context.
Does a job that never gets filled mean it was fake?
No. A vacancy can remain open or close without a hire for many reasons, and the outcome alone cannot show what the employer intended when it posted the job. Greenhouse’s definition turns on intent to hire. Unless an employer’s intent is established, an unfilled listing should not be treated as proof of deception.
Are ghost jobs real, and how many postings are fake?
Ghost jobs are a real category in Greenhouse’s reporting, but the available figure does not establish a national rate for fake listings. Greenhouse reported 18–22% on its own platform in a given quarter; no independently sourced broad-market estimate is established here. The number should therefore be read as Greenhouse’s platform-reported classification, not as a census of online vacancies.
Other percentages in news coverage measure different things. FOX 11 reported Greenhouse industry figures of 38% for construction postings, 34% for art postings, and 29% for legal postings. These are secondary-reported figures and should not be generalized to all employers or job boards. The same FOX 11 story also cited a separate Resume Builder survey in which 39% of hiring managers said their companies had posted fake listings in the past year. That is a manager self-report about companies, not a posting-level measure and not a validation of Greenhouse’s classification. FOX 11’s coverage reports these distinct figures.
Why the 2,500-person survey is not the source of the posting estimate
Greenhouse also described a State of Job Hunting survey of 2,500 workers across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. That respondent count belongs to the survey; it is not the sample size for the 18–22% platform classification. The survey and the platform data are separate evidence, so the worker sample should not be used to imply that the posting figure was measured across those countries or across the whole labor market.
How to assess a suspicious job posting
No single clue can establish an employer’s intent, but a reader can look for corroborating information before investing time or sharing personal data:
- Check the employer’s own careers page to see whether the role appears there and whether the details match.
- Look for a clear, current description of the work, location, and hiring process. A vague or repeatedly reposted listing can merit extra scrutiny, but does not by itself prove the job is fake.
- Ask the recruiter whether the role is approved and actively hiring, and what the expected timeline is. A specific answer is useful context, not a guarantee.
- Consider whether the listing’s status and dates make sense. A listing that remains visible after the employer says hiring has ended should be clarified with the employer or platform.
- Use any employer-verification information as one cross-check rather than proof that a particular vacancy will be filled. Greenhouse Verified describes using hiring-practice information, including the percentage of active applicants in closed jobs; it is not a promise that an opening will result in a hire.
Gizmodo reports that Greenhouse and LinkedIn offer job-verification services. Such features may help readers evaluate hiring practices, but a platform label cannot establish what an employer will ultimately do with an individual opening.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the finding means for job seekers
The estimate is a reason to verify a listing where practical, not a reason to assume that every fifth posting a person sees is fake or to abandon applications. Treat intent, hiring activity, and final outcome as separate questions: the Greenhouse figure concerns the first, a current recruiter response may help with the second, and only time reveals the third.
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