{"id":11001,"date":"2026-09-01T11:37:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T18:37:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/?p=11001"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:37:54","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T18:37:54","slug":"ghosted-by-hr-where-are-job-seekers-getting-ghosted-the-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/ghosted-by-hr-where-are-job-seekers-getting-ghosted-the-most\/","title":{"rendered":"Ghosted by HR: Where Are Job Seekers Getting Ghosted the Most?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Turns out, ghosting isn\u2019t just happening on dating apps. For many Americans, it\u2019s become an increasingly frustrating part of looking for a job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Job seekers are spending hours filling out applications, preparing for interviews and speaking with recruiters, only for communication to stop suddenly. In some cases, candidates are reporting making it all the way through multiple interviews or even receiving a verbal job offer before an employer doesn\u2019t reject\u2026 they simply disappear.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

But are certain people getting ghosted more than others?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To find out, NumberBarn surveyed Americans who applied for a job within the past year across major U.S. metropolitan areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We looked at how often employers stopped communicating and how far candidates made it through the hiring process before being ghosted. We also explored the other side of the hiring divide: how often are job seekers ghosting employers? Are automated hiring processes driving people away? Not to mention, what are these \u201cghost jobs\u201d people are talking about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Key Findings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  • Miami<\/strong> ranks No. 1 for employer ghosting, followed by New York City<\/strong>, Washington, D.C.<\/strong>, Austin<\/strong> and Seattle<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Nearly two-thirds of job seekers (66%) have been ghosted after speaking with or interviewing with someone at a company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Nearly 1 in 5 (18%) received a verbal job offer only for the employer to stop communicating afterward.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Nearly half (48%) have stopped pursuing a job because the hiring process felt too automated or AI-driven.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • More than two-thirds (69%) have applied for a job they later suspected wasn\u2019t actually available.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Job seekers are ghosting employers back: 34% have intentionally stopped responding to an employer because of how they were treated during the hiring process.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Where Are Job Seekers Getting Ghosted the Most?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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    When it comes to employer ghosting, job seekers in some cities appear to be having a rougher time than others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Miami<\/strong> ranks as the worst city for employer ghosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are the top 10 cities for HR ghosting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Miami<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. New York City<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Washington<\/strong>, D.C.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Austin<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Seattle<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. San Diego<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    7. Charlotte<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    8. Baltimore<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    9. Houston<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    10. Los Angeles <\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      To create the ranking, we compared several measures of employer ghosting, placing the greatest weight on candidates who were ghosted after an interview or after receiving a verbal job offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Miami\u2019s position at the top is notable given its large hospitality and tourism industry. Nationally, hospitality and food service workers reported the highest rate of ghosting after a verbal job offer at 30%. Similarly, seventh-ranked Charlotte<\/strong> is a major banking hub, while finance and banking workers reported the second-highest rate at 26%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      \u201cNearly half of job seekers (48%) said they have stopped pursuing a job because the hiring process felt too automated or AI-driven.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

      Meanwhile, major tech hubs Austin<\/strong> and Seattle<\/strong> rank fourth and fifth, respectively. It\u2019s worth noting that San<\/strong> Francisco<\/strong> lands much lower at No. 21, despite its concentration of technology companies and reputation as one of the country\u2019s largest tech employment markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The rankings reflect the experiences of job seekers living in each metro area, who may be applying for local, remote or out-of-market positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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