Looking For A Job But Can You Spot Ghost Ads

14th July 2025

Ghost job ads are a real—and surprisingly widespread phenomenon in the UK job market. Developing the ability to spot them may save job searcher valuable time and effort finding a job.

Ghost jobs are job postings for positions that don't actually exist or are already filled. These fake job ads are often used to create the illusion of company growth, gather candidate data, or mislead employees. They can be found on job boards on many web sites.

What Are Ghost Job Ads?]/b]
Ghost jobs are listings that appear on job boards but aren't actively being filled. They may be:

Old ads left up after a role has been filled

Speculative listings to build a pool of candidates for future roles.

Marketing tactics to make a company look like it's growing.

Internal hires where the ad is posted for compliance but the role is already earmarked.

How Common Are They?
A 2025 study by StandOut CV analysed over 91,000 UK job listings and found:

34.4% of job ads were likely ghost jobs

In some professions, the rate was even higher:

Veterinary nurses: 59.1%

Software engineers: 46.5%

Cybersecurity analysts: 45.7%

Why Do Companies Use Them?
Motivations include:

Creating a talent pipeline for future vacancies

Appearing to investors as if the company is expanding

Saving time and money by reusing old listings

Compliance with internal hiring policies requiring external posting

How to Spot a Ghost Job
Check if the ad is older than 30 days

Visit the company's official careers page to see if it's still listed

Look for vague or generic job descriptions

Reach out to the recruiter or hiring manager on LinkedIn to confirm it's active

If you're job hunting, it's worth being strategic—focus on fresh listings, verify roles, and don’t be discouraged by silence.

Why Do Companies Use Them?
Motivations include:

Creating a talent pipeline for future vacancies

Appearing to investors as if the company is expanding

Saving time and money by reusing old listings

Compliance with internal hiring policies requiring external posting

How to Spot a Ghost Job
Check if the ad is older than 30 days

Visit the company’s official careers page to see if it’s still listed

Look for vague or generic job descriptions

Reach out to the recruiter or hiring manager on LinkedIn to confirm it’s active

If you’re job hunting, it’s worth being strategic—focus on fresh listings, verify roles, and don’t be discouraged by silence. Want help crafting a CV or spotting red flags in listings? I’ve got your back.

[b]Is it the same in Scotland?

Data on "ghost jobs" isn’t published specifically for Scotland alone, but UK-wide research gives a clear indication that the phenomenon extends north of the border as well.

1. National Snapshot (Includes Scottish Cities)
A 2023 analysis of 91,318 UK listings found that 34.4% were likely ghost jobs.

This study covered the 30 largest UK cities—including Glasgow and Edinburgh—even though neither Scottish city featured among the top five worst hotspots (Islington, Southend-on-Sea, Birkenhead, Wolverhampton, Newport).

2. Estimated Scottish Rates
Absence from the "worst five" suggests Glasgow and Edinburgh ghost-job rates were below ~22-26%.

Given the UK average of 34.4%, it’s reasonable to infer that Scottish cities hover around (or slightly below) that mark.

3. Why Scotland Mirrors the UK Trend
Major Scottish job boards (e.g., S1Jobs, Indeed UK, LinkedIn) use the same posting platforms, so stale or speculative ads persist.

Employers in Scotland may likewise keep listings live to build candidate pipelines, test the market, or satisfy internal compliance, just as in the rest of the UK.

4. How to Spot Ghost Jobs in Scotland
Check the posting date: listings >30 days old are red flags.

Compare with the company’s own careers page—if it’s not there, proceed cautiously.

Look for vague descriptions and generic titles.

Reach out directly (email or phone) to confirm the role is active.

Although exact percentages for Scottish only listings are unavailable, the UK-wide findings clearly apply: roughly one in three ads may be "ghosts," with slightly lower rates in Scotland’s major cities. Vigilance and targeted vetting remain key for Scottish jobseekers.

What do we do in our jobs section
We remove ads shortly after closing dates where given. For ads with no closing date we remove after Jobs 3 to 4 weeks. Employers can request removal at any time. Jobs Section