Attor­ney Gen­er­al Ken Pax­ton Inves­ti­gates LinkedIn for Adver­tis­ing Fake and Mis­lead­ing Job Oppor­tu­ni­ties to Users Pay­ing for a Pre­mi­um Subscription

Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into LinkedIn Corporation ("LinkedIn") over allegations that the company has advertised and profited from fake or misleading job opportunities, commonly known as "ghost jobs," on its platform.

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional networking platform, with more than one billion registered users worldwide and hundreds of thousands of active users in Texas. The company generates substantial revenue through Premium subscription services, recruiter licenses, and advertising products, reporting approximately $17.8 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2025. LinkedIn has become a central hub for job seekers and employers, serving as one of the primary platforms for discovering, saving, and applying for employment opportunities.

For years, LinkedIn has marketed its paid Premium subscription services to job seekers who have the expectation that the platform's job listings represent legitimate, active hiring opportunities. Texas consumers who purchase LinkedIn Premium Career or Premium Business subscriptions pay approximately $39.99 and $69.99 per month. Many of these users are displaced workers, recent graduates, military veterans, and individuals seeking new employment opportunities. These Texans often rely heavily on LinkedIn's representations regarding the quality and legitimacy of available job postings. A "ghost job" is a job listing that either does not correspond to an actual open position or is posted despite an employer having no immediate intention of filling the role. Independent studies have estimated that ghost jobs may account for between one-fifth and one-third of online job listings.

LinkedIn does not independently verify the hiring status of most listings on its platform. LinkedIn's Premium marketing materials do not disclose that a significant percentage of job postings may be inactive, unfilled, or otherwise not representative of genuine hiring opportunities. As a result, consumers may have paid subscription fees based on materially misleading representations regarding the value and effectiveness of LinkedIn's job marketplace.

"I will use every resource available to my office to help job-seeking Texans find and secure real employment opportunities," said Attorney General Paxton. "LinkedIn has a duty to provide the services it advertises and ensure that consumers paying for Premium subscriptions are receiving access to legitimate job postings. I am investigating whether LinkedIn has misled Texans by promoting and profiting from 'ghost jobs' while marketing itself as a trusted platform for finding employment."

The Office of the Attorney General has issued a Civil Investigative Demand ("CID") to LinkedIn seeking documents, data, and internal communications related to the company's advertising, marketing, verification practices, and representations concerning Premium subscription services and job listings.