A significant number of UK workers believe they are applying for jobs that don’t actually exist, research from Employment Hero reveals.
Adding to mounting frustration with a hiring market many now see as opaque and discouraging, the research found that nearly a quarter of UK workers (24%) say they have applied for a so-called “ghost job” (a role advertised without any genuine intention to hire). Among younger workers, the figure rises sharply, with 37% of those aged 18-34 believing they have applied for a job that was never real.
The findings point to a labour market where separating genuine opportunities from noise has become increasingly difficult. Only 38% of roles appearing in job searches are seen by workers as genuinely relevant, suggesting many candidates feel they are navigating listings that lead nowhere.
A Market Full of Ghost Jobs
Ghost jobs are typically roles posted to build a pipeline of candidates, test salary expectations or benchmark the market, rather than to fill an immediate vacancy. In some cases, fake listings have also been linked to phishing activity, where job adverts are used to harvest personal data from applicants.
For jobseekers, the result is wasted time, dashed expectations and a growing sense of mistrust in the recruitment process.
The Job Hunt Has Become the Biggest Barrier
The research suggests ghost jobs are only part of a wider problem. One in three UK workers (33%) say their current role was difficult to find, rising to 46% among 18-34 year olds.
Silence from employers is a major source of frustration. Eight in 10 workers (80%) say they’ve applied for a job and received no response at all, while more than half (54%) describe this as the most frustrating part of the job search.
Long, drawn-out processes also feature heavily. Nearly half of workers (46%) cite time-consuming tasks as the worst aspect of recruitment, 44% point to long waits between interviews, and 42% say they have been ignored or “ghosted” after interviewing.
Taken together, the findings paint a picture of a system that demands significant effort from candidates while offering little clarity or feedback in return.
A System That Discourages Mobility
Perhaps most concerning is the impact this is having on people’s willingness to look for work at all. Six in 10 UK workers (61%) say the job search or hiring process has put them off looking for a new role altogether. Among younger workers, that figure rises to 69%, and to 67% among women.
Nathaniel McAllister, who founded the career-change community Hurdle after losing his own job, said ghost listings have made job hunting increasingly demoralising.
“Ghost jobs are becoming a real problem, especially on LinkedIn. They make the whole job-hunting experience even worse. I was made redundant in March 2025, and at first I thought finding another role would be easy. But once I started applying, I quickly realised it wasn’t. Some roles go through multiple stages, and then you might not get the job – or hear anything at all.
From Nathaniel’s perspective, “job hunting is especially tough for younger workers”. He adds: “Competing with people whose entry-level roles had been delayed during Covid which put me at an immediate disadvantage because they often had more experience in the workplace. These days, most employers expect more than just a degree – they want practical skills and proven achievements (even at entry level). Couple this with long delays and poor communication, and it’s easy to see why it’s hard to stay motivated.”
This disengagement comes at a difficult moment for the UK labour market. Official figures show that almost a million young people aren’t currently in education, employment or training, while recent ONS data indicates unemployment has reached a five-year high.
The combination of fewer opportunities, poor communication and the prevalence of ghost jobs risks locking people into roles they may want to leave, reducing mobility at a time when flexibility and progression are increasingly important.
Trust at the Heart of Recruitment
The findings also highlight a deeper issue of trust in recruitment. When jobseekers repeatedly encounter listings that lead nowhere or receive no response after applying, confidence in the system erodes.
To tackle the growing problem of ghost jobs, David Holland, Managing Director of Talent at Employment Hero shares his top tips on how to avoid falling into the trap.
- Be cautious of roles that look permanently open
If a job has been live for months or keeps reappearing with no changes, that can be a red flag. In the UK market, this often means an employer is testing the market or building a talent pool rather than actively hiring. - Look for substance, not buzzwords
Real vacancies usually spell out what you’ll actually be doing. That includes clear responsibilities, who you report into, where the role sits in the team and what success looks like in the first few months. Ghost roles tend to stay vague, with lots of culture talk and very little day-to-day detail. - Sense check the basics
It’s reasonable to expect upfront information on location, hybrid working and hours. Younger workers are particularly affected by time-wasting listings, so if an ad is evasive on fundamentals, treat it as a warning sign. - Use platforms that verify employers
Platforms that verify employers can help mitigate ghost jobs and create a fairer, more transparent recruitment experience. Using a system that connects HR, payroll and recruitment in one consolidated system such as Employment Hero’s platform, means every job is posted by a real, paying employer with an active workforce. That makes listings far more likely to be genuine, actively managed and followed up, reducing the risk of ghost jobs by design. - Ask one direct question
You don’t need to overthink it. A genuine recruiter or hiring manager should be able to confirm whether the role is an approved vacancy and share a rough timeline for interviews and start dates. If answers are vague, delayed or keep changing, the role may not be active.
