If you’ve ever applied, interviewed, and waited, only to discover the role never existed, was already filled, or was posted to “build a candidate pipeline”, then you’ve met a ghost job.

Ghost jobs waste time, drain savings, and erode trust. They push people to pay for premium subscriptions and resume rewrites while their applications vanish into a black hole. Meanwhile, resumes get stockpiled, sold, or retained without clear limits. The system rewards quantity over honesty—and workers pay the price.

We can fix this. I recommend passing a practical, pro-worker, pro-business transparency law. Call it the "The Truth in Job Advertising & Accountability Act (TJAAA)." It would not micromanage hiring—it simply requires that public job ads be truthful, current, and accountable.

TJAAA would:

• Require real openings. Funded role, authorized posting date, and a firm expiration/close when hiring is paused or done. No pretend requisitions.
• Tell the truth up front. Clear pay range, location/on-site/remote status, core requirements (including any citizenship/clearance needs), and whether AI is used in screening.
• Stop endless “evergreen” postings that look like real openings but are just “talent pools” (with narrow, good-faith exceptions for genuinely high-turnover, entry-level roles).
• Protect applicant privacy. Resumes and application data can only be used for the job(s) applied to—no resale, no indefinite stockpiling. Breaches and misuse carry real consequences.
• Create an audit trail. Basic records of recruiting activity so regulators can spot systemic abuse without burdening honest employers.
• Enforce accountability. Meaningful penalties and a private right of action for fraudulent postings, plus whistleblower protections for people who report abuse.
• Recognize good actors. Good-faith exemptions and safe harbors for employers who comply and correct mistakes promptly.

This is common sense. Honest employers already operate this way. TJAAA levels the playing field by stopping bad actors from gaming job boards, faking demand, and harvesting data.

What you can do:

1. Sign this petition to show Congress that job seekers, recruiters of integrity, and employers all want fair, transparent hiring.
2. Share with friends, colleagues, and community groups.
3. Tell your story in a petition comment. Your experience helps lawmakers understand the human cost of ghost jobs.

Every signature strengthens our call: Pass the Truth in Job Advertising & Accountability Act. Let’s end ghost jobs and restore trust in hiring.

Learn more or get involved: truthinjobads.org • Email: truthinjobads@gmail.com

• Key demands:
  Real, funded openings only; prompt takedowns when roles close
• Clear pay ranges and core requirements in every public job post
• No deceptive “evergreen” listings presented as active openings
• Strict, limited-use rules for resumes and applicant data; penalties for misuse/breaches
• Basic recordkeeping to enable audits and deter fraud
• Whistleblower protections and a private right of action
• Safe harbors for compliant employers acting in good faith