4,000 Americans Petition Congress to Address 'Ghost Jobs' Crisis Through New Legislation

More than 4,000 Americans have signed a petition supporting the Truth in Job Advertising and Accountability Act, signaling growing public demand for congressional action against deceptive employment practices known as "ghost jobs." The citizen-driven initiative has gained rapid momentum as job seekers nationwide report experiencing positions advertised with no actual intent to hire.

The TJAAA Working Group has engaged with congressional offices across party lines, meeting recently with staff from Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma and Representatives Nikema Williams of Georgia, Eugene Vindman of Virginia, Brad Sherman of California, Terri Sewell of Alabama, Pablo José Hernández of Puerto Rico, Beth Van Duyne of Texas, Troy Downing of Montana, Monica De La Cruz of Texas, Henry Cuellar of Texas, and Tim Burchett of Tennessee. These discussions build on earlier conversations with Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Representatives Debbie Dingell of Michigan, Troy Carter of Louisiana, Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, Maxwell Frost of Florida, Roger Williams of Texas, Alma Adams of North Carolina, and Keith Self of Texas.

"Every signature represents someone who was ghosted, misled, or ignored in their job search," said Eric K. Thompson, founder of the TJAAA Working Group. "Congress is starting to listen—not because of lobbyists, but because thousands of ordinary Americans are standing together to demand truth in hiring."

The proposed legislation addresses what advocates describe as a systemic problem affecting job market transparency. The Truth in Job Advertising and Accountability Act would implement measures to ensure job postings reflect genuine openings, prevent misuse of applicant data, and hold employers accountable for transparency throughout the hiring process. Supporters argue that deceptive listings not only waste millions of hours of unpaid applicant labor annually but also artificially inflate job-market statistics, creating a distorted picture of employment opportunities.

The petition, hosted at https://change.org/StopGhostJobs, continues to attract signatures from workers, job seekers, and business leaders calling for reform. Additional information about the legislative effort is available at https://www.truthinjobads.org. The growing support highlights increasing public frustration with hiring practices that undermine trust in the employment market and waste valuable time and resources for American workers.