Have you ever applied for a job, carefully filled in every detail, sent your resume — and then heard nothing back?

No rejection. No interview. Just silence.

Sometimes, the problem is not your application — it’s the job itself.

Some job advertisements are what people now call “ghost jobs.” These are job listings for positions that are not actually open. The company may already have chosen someone internally, may not have the budget to hire, or may never have planned to fill the role in the first place.

Ghost jobs are more common than you might think. One study found that more than 20% of job ads in the US and Germany were fake. In the UK, the number may be even higher — possibly one in three.

So why would a company post a job that doesn’t really exist?

One reason is data. Some employers collect resumes even when they are not hiring, so they can build a list of candidates for the future.

Another reason is image. Job listings can make a company look busy and successful, even if no one is actually being hired. This can influence investors, clients, and even current employees.

Ghost jobs create real problems. They increase stress for job seekers and make the hiring process feel unfair. People spend hours applying and adjusting their resumes — only to get nothing in return.

There are some signs that a job might be a ghost job. If a listing stays online for a very long time without changes or appears again and again with the same description, it may not be a real opportunity.

If you are unsure, try reaching out to someone at the company and ask about the role. If no one responds, that may tell you more than the job ad itself.

Ghost jobs are frustrating, but understanding them can help you use your time more wisely.