It’s the silence that gets to you. You spend hours tailoring your resume, fine-tuning a cover letter that doesn’t sound robotic, maybe even take a day off work to show up well-rehearsed to an interview. You click submit. And then? Nothing. No response, no follow-up: just digital tumbleweeds.

According to new research from Employment Hero, that experience isn’t unique. It’s the norm. In a nationally representative survey of more than 1,000 Canadians, 56 per cent said they suspect they’ve applied for a “ghost job,” a role that was advertised without any real intent to hire.

And this isn’t just about inconvenience. It’s about erosion of trust. The hiring process, once a gateway to opportunity, is now increasingly seen as a black box. People are putting in the effort, only to be met with silence. That’s not just frustrating, it’s demoralizing. “Job searching already takes time and emotional energy,” said KJ Lee, CEO of Employment Hero Canada. “When candidates are met with silence, unclear pay expectations or roles that may not be real, it creates a trust problem in hiring. This research shows these frustrations aren’t isolated, they’re shaping the job search experience across Canada.”

That trust problem has become loudest in Ontario, where new legislation came into effect on 1 January 2026. Employers with 25 or more staff are now required to include salary ranges in job postings and respond to all interviewed candidates within 45 days. While 88 per cent of job seekers in Ontario believe these new laws will help, a staggering 95 per cent also expect companies to try to find loopholes.

Why ghost jobs are damaging more than just careers

Being ghosted doesn’t just waste your time. It chips away at your confidence. The data shows that 70 per cent of job seekers say being ghosted by an employer has impacted their mental health and motivation to continue searching. One in three says the impact has been significant. And the effect isn’t felt equally. Younger workers are hit harder, with 73 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds reporting mental health impacts.

Daniel Vina, a Toronto-based digital marketing professional, knows the feeling all too well. With more than 10 years of experience across Venezuela, Chile, the US and Canada, and roles at major brands like Chevrolet and Huawei, he’s still navigating unemployment after being laid off in May 2025. “I’ve submitted close to 500 job applications in the past eight months,” he said. “At this point, it’s not even the ‘no’ that’s hardest; it’s the silence. You put in the work to tailor an application, you take time off to interview, you follow up professionally and then you hear nothing. No update, no closure, no acknowledgement that you exist in the process.”

That emotional weight is one reason 78 per cent of job seekers say they’ve been discouraged from looking for a new role in the past. And it’s not just about being rejected. It’s the feeling of being invisible.

Ontario’s move to legislate against ghosting is a direct response to this growing frustration. And while it’s early days, there are signs of change: one in five job seekers say they’ve already noticed differences in how jobs are advertised since the new laws came into effect. But the rest of Canada isn’t content to wait and see. Across provinces, 89 per cent of job seekers believe similar rules would benefit them, too.

Pay transparency and AI are fuelling a new wave of job search anxiety

Alongside ghost jobs, pay secrecy is another sore spot. Sixty-four per cent of Canadians say they’ve decided not to apply for a role because salary details weren’t included. That’s not a preference, it’s a pattern.

Employers may think withholding salary ranges gives them leverage. The opposite is proving true. When a job listing is vague, candidates walk away. And when they’re met with silence after applying, they lose faith in the whole system.

AI is also reshaping the conversation. With Ontario now requiring employers to disclose when AI is used in hiring, transparency is taking centre stage. And while only 13 per cent of job seekers are fully comfortable with AI screening resumes on its own, this isn’t a rejection of tech: it’s a call for clarity.

Because when people understand how decisions are made, trust builds. And that’s exactly where AI can shine. “AI can be a powerful tool to help employers hire more efficiently and consistently,” said Lee. “The opportunity is to use it responsibly and be transparent about where it’s used, what it’s doing, and where human oversight sits in the process. When candidates understand how decisions are made, it builds confidence and improves the hiring experience for everyone.”

At Employment Hero, we see AI as an enabler, not a replacement. It’s about removing inefficiencies, not empathy. Used well, it can fast-track great talent into roles that suit them, reduce bias and bring consistency to the parts of hiring that too often feel unpredictable. And that’s what candidates want: clear, human-centred hiring that doesn’t leave them in the dark.

Across Canada, the message from job seekers is clear: they want visibility. On pay. On process. On whether the job actually exists. Ontario’s setting the pace, but the rest of the country is watching. Ghost jobs might have haunted the last few years, but in 2026, it’s time to move forward. When people take the time to apply, they deserve more than silence. They deserve answers.