Employment website says Gen Z is ghosting potential new employers

Ghosting, that is the act of leaving somebody hanging after a date, has really taken off for Gen Z when it comes to job hunting.

That’s the takeaway from a report from job site Indeed.

The site’s poll of more than 4,516 employers and nearly the same number of job seekers revealed 93% of Gen Z applicants have flaked out on an interview; 87% of those in that younger demographic managed to successfully interview for a job but decided not to show up on their first day of work.

By comparison, 75% of all respondents say they’ve ignored a potential employer in the past year. Among those are also Gen Xers, millennials and even boomers, saying it made them feel “in charge of their career.” In fact, half of those surveyed said they’d do it again.

For the employers, though, it’s not nearly as fun. They say it’s making it more difficult to fill positions. And 77% say getting ghosted was more common in 2022 than in previous years.

The report did notice a trend with older job seekers that was not apparent in their young counterparts: instant regret, with millennials most commonly fearing that ghosting an employer could make it more difficult for them to find a new job.

That said, one in five job seekers reported a potential employer has blown off a telephone interview; nearly a quarter were left hanging after getting just a verbal offer from their potential new boss.

Survey questions, methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.