‘Ghost jobs’ could soon be illegal in New York

New York state lawmakers passed a bill this month that aims to combat the practice of "ghost jobs," where employers post listings for positions they do not intend to fill. If signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul, the legislation would mandate that companies disclose their intention to fill a role and by when, or state if the listing is for future openings. The bill requires employers to remove job postings within two weeks of filling a position. This new law would apply to companies with 100 or more employees and third-party job platforms. Employers must specify the intended hiring date if it falls within 90 days, using bold, all-caps text. If a role is unlikely to be filled within that timeframe or there is no current opening, employers must provide a projected hiring timeline. In cases where a job is not intended to be filled, the listing must clearly state that its purpose is to collect resumes for future opportunities. A recent analysis of over 175,000 job listings found that approximately one in seven jobs remained active for more than 30 days, suggesting a potential lag in updating application statuses. This legislation seeks to provide greater transparency for job seekers who invest time in applying for roles that may not be genuinely available.