This current job market is plagued by fake job postings that have been misleading American job seekers, wasting their time, and distorting employment data. These deceptive listings—often created to collect résumés, inflate company growth metrics, or manipulate job market statistics—erode trust in online job platforms, create inefficiencies in the hiring process, and continue to make the job market worse for job seekers and the unemployed. “As of January 2025, the U.S. tech industry has seen a notable increase in unemployment among IT professionals. The number of unemployed IT workers rose from 98,000 in December 2024 to 152,000 in January 2025, marking an increase of 54,000 individuals within a month. This surge elevated the IT unemployment rate to 5.7%, a significant rise from previous months. Industry analysts attribute this trend partly to the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which are automating tasks traditionally performed by human workers, thereby reducing the demand for certain IT roles”.
Landing a job in the STEM field right now has become nearly impossible for most, and according to a report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), fake job scams have surged in recent years, with job seekers losing over $68 million in 2022 alone due to fraudulent employment schemes. Additionally, studies suggest that some companies post “ghost jobs” without real hiring intent to build a talent pipeline or make their financial outlook appear stronger. As the pressure to find work increases for unemployed tech workers, there has been little to no issue resolution from our government representatives despite the need for a strong job market correction. Many tech workers have exhausted their unemployment benefits and remain in a very vulnerable position.