You’ve probably been there: scrolling through job boards, spotting a dream role, pouring hours into a tailored application—only to hear crickets. Worse, months later, the job is still posted, or you learn from an insider that the position was never actively hiring. Welcome to the strange world of ghost jobs.

Ghost jobs—roles that aren’t actively hiring or sometimes not even real—aren’t just frustrating for job seekers. They also raise an intriguing question: Could these postings be a way for recruiters to justify their own jobs?

Recruiters live and die by metrics. They’re evaluated on applicant numbers, interviews scheduled, and the health of their candidate pipelines. Keeping job postings live, even for non-existent roles, ensures a steady stream of activity. For a recruiter, a full pipeline can demonstrate value to their employer, even if the pipeline itself is built on illusory opportunities.

It’s not just about personal job security. Ghost jobs can align with broader company strategies. During hiring freezes or economic uncertainty, aspirational postings may signal stability to stakeholders or competitors. These listings also help companies maintain visibility in the market and prepare for eventual growth. Recruiters, caught between corporate demands and their own survival, often use ghost jobs as a hedge.

That said, not every ghost job stems from self-preservation. Sometimes a role lingers on job boards because of prolonged decision-making, shifting priorities, or simple oversight. Budget constraints can also kill a role after it’s posted. The idea that recruiters are intentionally using ghost jobs to prove relevance may oversimplify the reality of chaotic hiring processes.

Regardless of the intent, ghost jobs erode trust. They waste time, frustrate applicants, and foster skepticism about hiring practices. If recruiters are using these postings as a tool to secure their own roles, it speaks to a larger problem: a workplace culture that values appearances and metrics over meaningful outcomes.

For companies, the solution starts with transparency. If a role is on pause, say so. If it’s only exploratory, be upfront. For job seekers, ghost jobs are a reminder to approach postings with a critical eye. The real challenge isn’t ghost jobs themselves but the system that incentivizes their existence.

Have you encountered ghost jobs in your job search? What do you think drives them? Let’s talk in the comments.