Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Amid complex hiring processes, a shadow is spreading in the American business world. Companies are using fake online job openings to project an image of growth, keep existing employees motivated, and cultivate a pool of possible future candidates with no intention of hiring, according to research.

The practice is commonly known as "ghost posting" and it accounts for 43 percent of online job openings across multiple industries.

A Clarify Capital survey of more than 1,000 hiring managers showed that, beyond fake growth metrics and productivity drivers, one third of professionals claimed they used ghost posts to placate overworked employees.