The new Ghost Job Economy report shows that millions of U.S. job postings never result in an actual hire. Drawing on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), the analysis uncovers a persistent structural gap that distorts opportunity, frustrates job seekers, and erodes trust in the labor market. The report was commissioned by MyPerfectResume, a resume-building service.
Key Findings
- Nearly 1 in 3 job postings go nowhere. In June 2025, 30% of job openings, over 2.2 million roles, never resulted in a hire.
- The gap isn’t new. Since 2021, the “phantom gap” between openings and hires has held steady at 28–38% each month.
- Peaked in 2021. Job postings surged above 11 million, but hiring activity remained flat at 6–7 million.
- Worst-hit sectors: Education & health (50%), government (60%), information (48%), and financial activities (44%).
- Exceptions: Construction and hospitality buck the trend, where hires often match, or even exceed, openings.
“On paper, the labor market looks full of opportunity, but in reality, millions of these postings are illusions,” said Jasmine Escalera, career expert at MyPerfectResume. “Ghost jobs don’t just waste job seekers’ time. They inflate hope, undermine confidence in employers, and create blind spots in the economic data policymakers depend on.”
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A Historical Shift
For more than a decade after the Great Recession, job postings and hires moved in tandem, with modest gaps between them. That changed in 2021.
- 2010–2019: Job openings grew steadily from 2 million to 7 million, with hires closely tracking. Gaps rarely exceeded 10%.
- 2020: The pandemic cratered both postings and hires, but they rebounded together.
- 2021–2022: A break occurred. Openings spiked above 11 million, but hires remained at 6–7 million. As many as 38% of postings went unfilled.
- 2023–2025: The economy cooled, but the “ghost job rate” persisted at 28–32%.
The divergence left millions of jobs on paper but not in practice.
Sector Breakdown: Where Ghost Jobs Are Concentrated
Not all industries are equally affected. June 2025 JOLTS data reveal wide disparities:
- Government: Nearly 60% of postings never lead to hires.
- Education & Health: 50% ghost rate, driven by teacher and healthcare shortages.
- Financial Activities & Information: Ghost rates at 44–48%.
- Construction & Hospitality: Hires often keep pace, or surpass, postings, showing healthier labor alignment.
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Tags: ghost jobs, job listings, Payroll
