#JobGhosting #JobSearchSG #Hiring2026

Have you ever sent in a job application and heard nothing back? No email. No phone call. Just silence.

This is called "ghosting." It means a company stops replying to you during the hiring process. Sometimes this happens right after you apply. Sometimes it happens even after you finish two or three interviews.

If this has happened to you, you are not alone. It is happening to a lot of people right now, in Singapore and around the world.

HOW OFTEN DOES THIS HAPPEN?

The numbers are pretty shocking. More than half of all job seekers, about 53%, said they were ghosted by a company in the past year. This is the highest it has been in three years.

On the other side, most hiring managers admit they do this too. About 80% of hiring managers say they have ghosted a job candidate at least once.

In Singapore, workers say the same thing. Many people send in applications or go through interviews, only to hear nothing back at all.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING SO MUCH NOW?

A big reason is new AI tools. These tools make it very easy for people to send out lots of job applications very fast. Some people apply to hundreds of jobs in one day.

This means hiring teams get way more applications than before. Some jobs that used to get 50 applications now get 400 or more. With so many people applying, hiring teams often can't keep up. Replying to every single person becomes too hard, so many companies just stop replying at all.

SOME JOBS AREN'T EVEN REAL

Here's another surprising fact. Some job posts you see online might not be real job openings at all. These are called "ghost jobs."

A survey found that about 8 out of 10 recruiters said their company posts jobs they aren't really trying to fill. Why do they do this? Some want their company name to stay visible online. Others want to see how many people are interested in that type of job. Some just want to study the job market.

This issue was even talked about in Singapore's government. A minister said that some job posts may close without hiring anyone. This can happen for normal reasons, like a company changing its plans. But it can also happen if some companies are not being fair. The government said it will look into unfair cases and take action if needed.

WHEN DOES GHOSTING HAPPEN THE MOST?

Ghosting can happen at any point in the job search. Some people are ignored right after they send in their application. Others hear nothing after a phone call, an interview, or even after finishing a work sample or test. This means even after you do a lot of hard work, you might still hear nothing back.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

If you've been ghosted, it can feel bad. But it's important to know this: it is usually not about you. It is often about companies being too busy and overwhelmed to reply to everyone.

Here are some tips that can help:

Keep applying to many jobs. Don't wait around for just one company to answer.
Follow up once. After about one or two weeks, you can send a polite message asking for an update.
Try to get referrals. Applying through someone you know often gets better replies.
Keep track of your applications. Write down where you applied and when, so you know when it's time to move on.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Being ignored during a job search is frustrating. But right now, it is a very common problem — not just for you, but for job seekers everywhere. AI tools, huge numbers of applications, and busy hiring teams are the main reasons behind it.

Knowing this can help you feel less discouraged. The silence usually isn't personal. It's a sign of a hiring system that hasn't caught up with how people search for jobs today.

Sources:

Fortune, March 2026
Criteria Corp, 2026 Candidate Experience Report
iHire, 2026 Candidate Experience Survey
Resume Genius survey (via Metaintro, February 2026)
MyPerfectResume, 2024 report
Ministry of Manpower Singapore, Parliamentary Reply, January 2026