MOM outlines its steps to ensure job vacancies are genuine
Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has offered assurance that job vacancies in its labour data undergo stringent monitoring to ensure that these are not ghost jobs.
In a written answer to a Parliamentary question, MOM said it takes steps to guarantee that labour market statistics obtained from employer surveys are robust.
"All reported vacancies undergo stringent validation, including cross-checks against other data sources such as MyCareersFuture postings, to confirm that the vacancies are genuine and tied to actual hiring activity," MOM said.
"We follow up directly with employers if, for example, vacancies in their companies rise sharply without corresponding hires, or if the same positions are repeatedly reported every quarter without being filled."
These steps improve the ministry's data quality and ensure that the statistics reflect actual labour demand and broader hiring trends, according to MOM.
Ghost jobs plague the market
The response followed a question in Parliament asking if the ministry accounts for ghost jobs, or job listings for positions that are not open or do not even exist.
A survey from LiveCareer earlier this year revealed that 45% of more than 900 HR professionals overseas are "regularly" posting ghost jobs.
According to the poll, HR leaders use ghost jobs for special needs like seasonal hiring or building out a talent pipeline. The Academy to Innovate HR in the Netherlands said ghost jobs are used to "assess market interest and the availability of skills for specific positions."
MOM acknowledged that employers may publish multiple postings across different job portals to maximise chances of securing a suitable talent for their vacancy.
"Such practices are part of normal recruitment efforts and do not necessarily indicate fictitious openings," it said.
The ministry did not answer whether it will consider releasing guidelines to reduce ghost jobs in job search platforms. However, it said efforts are made to enhance job search features for jobseekers.
"We are continually enhancing job search features on the MyCareersFuture portal such as introducing filters to help jobseekers identify more responsive employers and will continue to engage with employers to encourage responsible posting practices," MOM said.
