Thousands Support Truth in Job Advertising Act as Momentum Builds for Hiring Transparency Reform

The Truth in Job Advertising and Accountability Act (TJAAA) has garnered support from more than 4,000 Americans through a citizen-driven petition, reflecting widespread concern about deceptive hiring practices. This growing movement targets the elimination of 'ghost jobs'—positions advertised with no genuine intent to hire—which proponents argue mislead job seekers and distort employment statistics.

Political momentum continues to build as the TJAAA Working Group has recently engaged with congressional staff from multiple offices. In the past week alone, meetings have occurred with representatives from Senator James Lankford (OK) and Representatives Nikema Williams (GA), Eugene Vindman (VA), Brad Sherman (CA), Terri Sewell (AL), Pablo José Hernández (PR), Beth Van Duyne (TX), Troy Downing (MT), Monica De La Cruz (TX), Henry Cuellar (TX), and Tim Burchett (TN). These discussions follow earlier conversations with Senator Ruben Gallego (AZ), Senator Jack Reed (RI), and Representatives Debbie Dingell (MI), Troy Carter (LA), Gwen Moore (WI), Maxwell Frost (FL), Roger Williams (TX), Alma Adams (NC), and Keith Self (TX).

Eric K. Thompson, founder of the TJAAA Working Group, emphasized the grassroots nature of this movement. 'Every signature represents someone who was ghosted, misled, or ignored in their job search,' Thompson stated. 'Congress is starting to listen—not because of lobbyists, but because thousands of ordinary Americans are standing together to demand truth in hiring.'

The proposed legislation would implement common-sense measures to ensure job postings accurately reflect genuine employment opportunities. The TJAAA aims to prevent misuse of applicant data and establish accountability mechanisms for employers regarding hiring transparency. Supporters contend that deceptive job listings not only waste millions of hours of unpaid applicant labor annually but also artificially inflate job-market statistics, creating misleading impressions about labor market conditions.

The petition, hosted at https://change.org/StopGhostJobs, continues to gain signatures as workers, job seekers, and business leaders advocate for reform. Additional information and legislative resources are available at https://www.truthinjobads.org.

For HR vendors and talent management providers, this movement signals potential regulatory changes that could impact recruitment marketing practices and compliance requirements. The growing public support for hiring transparency suggests increased scrutiny of employment advertising practices, potentially affecting how organizations approach talent acquisition and candidate communication. As legislative discussions progress, HR technology providers may need to anticipate new requirements for job posting verification and applicant tracking system functionality.