Judging by current data, you'd think there's literally a job out there for anyone who wants one. Looking deeper under the hood, though, tells a different story.

The level of job openings as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for years has shown there are at least as many available positions as there are unemployed workers.

But comparing the openings with actual hirings shows that not all those jobs are being filled.

Not even close, in fact: Since the beginning of 2024, job openings have outnumbered job hirings by more than 2.2 million a month, according to BLS data. That points to an ongoing problem with "ghost jobs" that never seem to get filled.

"The U.S. labor market looks deceptively strong on paper. Millions of openings suggest opportunity, but many are illusions," said

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