If you've ever been on a job hunt and felt like, despite your qualifications and years of experience, you're not making any significant progress, you're not alone. A ResumeBuilder.com survey shows that 40 percent of companies have posted fake or "ghost" job listings on online job boards in 2024.

According to the more than 1,600 hiring managers surveyed, the top reasons for the practice include to make current employees believe they are replaceable, present the organization as open to external talent, act as though the business is growing, cause current employees to think new workers will soon alleviate their workloads, and collect resumes for the future.

Nearly half of respondents post the false listings on Indeed and Glassdoor. Most companies keep the listings active for one month on average.

"It's a concerning scenario, particularly when these misleading postings originate from HR departments—the very entities entrusted with shaping accurate perceptions of their organizations," explains Stacie Haller, Resume Builder's chief career advisor, in a press release. "Whether it's to create an illusion of company expansion or to foster a sense of replaceability among employees, such practices are not acceptable."

Nevertheless, fake job positions don't just sit in the ether. Thirty-nine percent of hiring managers said they always contact the candidates, and 45 percent said they sometimes contact the candidates. Even worse, 85 percent of employers interview applicants for roles that do not exist.

The belief that posting ghost job positions is morally acceptable may stem from the method's positive impact on companies; employers reported a correlative increase in revenue, employee morale, and productivity.

Don't anticipate the practice ending any time soon. Almost half of hiring managers believe posting fake jobs is "definitely" acceptable, and one quarter think it's "probably" acceptable.