'Ghost jobs' are on the rise – and so are calls to ban them

Summary

Should more be done to tackle 'ghost jobs', vacancies that don't exist?Megan LawtonBusiness reporterAFP via Getty ImagesOne UK study found that 34% of advertised vacancies didn't really existThe phrase "ghost jobs" might sound like something from Halloween, but it refers to the practice of employers advertising vacancies that don't exist.In some cases the positions may have already been filled, but in others the job might not have ever been available.It's a real and continuing problem on both sides of the Atlantic.Up to 22% of jobs advertised online last year were positions listed with no intent to hire, according to a study across the US, UK and Germany by recruitment software provider Greenhouse.A separate UK study put the figure even higher, at 34%.Meanwhile, the most recent official data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that while there were 7.2 million job vacancies back in August, only 5.1 million people were hired. Why are firms posting ghost jobs, and what is being done to tackle the problem?In the US, a jobhunting tech worker called Eric Thompson is making politicians in Washington DC increasingly aware of the issue.In October of last year Mr Thompson, who has more than 20 years of experience in the tech sector, was made redundant from a start-up. He spent the following two months unsuccessfully applying for hundreds of jobs."I looked at everything under the sun, applying for positions at my current level, and ones that were more senior and junior," he says.It dawned on Mr Thompson that some of the advertised jobs simply didn't exist. The experience led him to set up a working group calling for legislation to ban the practice of fake job adverts in the US.Continuing to meet with members of the US Congress, he has led the formulation of proposed legislation called The Truth in Job Advertising & Accountability Act. This calls for expiration dates for listings when hiring is paused or completed, auditable hiring records, and penalties for employers...