58% of U.S. employees admit to ‘ghostworking,’ Resume Now reveals
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — A majority of employees are actively pretending to be working, termed “ghostworking,” according to a recent report.
The “Ghostworking Report” from Resume Now reveals that 58% of workers regularly feign productivity, with unclear expectations and workplace distractions fueling the trend. This widespread behavior challenges traditional notions of employee engagement and productivity measurement.
Performative work habits blur real productivity metrics
The report, which interviewed 1,127 American employees, also examined distractions and potential remedies.
Technical problems at 16% and break times at 15% are the primary distractions of office workers. In contrast, housemates at 40% and family at 35% are the primary distractors of remote workers, depending on location. Interestingly, 69% of employees say they would be more productive if their employer tracked their screen time, suggesting they expect external accountability.
The survey revealed that just 12% of respondents never fake their productivity, and thus the overwhelming majority engage in some degree of productivity theater.
This is not a remote behavior in foreign locations; 37% of workers admit to spending more time in the workplace, indicating it is not a place issue but an organizational one.
To preserve this illusion, the employees use a wide range of tactics. Some of the reasons are walking around the office with a notebook (23%), typing without any purpose to appear to be working (22%), and putting a phone to their ear without a call (15%). Moreover, 12% have arranged fake meetings to avoid work.
Such activities point to a work ethos where feeling busy is an appreciated attribute, or even more so than getting substantial work done.
The report notes that, “For employers, understanding these behaviors can reveal where time and trust are being lost—and why creating a results-focused environment that rewards time management skills might be more effective than enforcing performative busyness.”
92% quietly job hunt during paid work hours
One of the most startling results of the report is the almost universal practice of looking for a new job during working hours. Ninety-two percent of employees job-searched during working hours, and 55% did so regularly.
This is a high level of disengagement, meaning that the individual workers are not just unproductive in their current positions; they are actively seeking alternatives at the expense of the company’s resources.
The methods used are bold and carry inherent risk. Workers admit to using company time to edit their resumes (24%) and applying for jobs using work computers (23%). Many of them have answered recruiter calls in the office (20%), and only 19% have sneaked to an interview.
“For companies, this signals a need to look inward—are people disengaged, underpaid, or feeling stuck? For workers, it’s a sign to reflect on their long-term goals and find the right time and place to pursue their next step—without compromising professionalism,” the report suggests.
The trend indicates that companies face inherent problems, such as employee satisfaction, career growth, or even payment, which prompt workers to seek exits during working hours.
The pervasive “ghostworking” and widespread on-the-clock job searching reveal a critical breakdown in traditional productivity models, compelling a necessary corporate evolution from surveilling activity to valuing measurable results.
