(KRON) — In a stagnating employment landscape where “quiet promotions” and “job hugging” are the new normal, another work trend that’s apparently spooking workers is on the rise. The scenario may sound all-too-familiar for many workers.
You’re asked to take on more work, more duties, or more responsibilities, but you’re not offered a raise or a promotion to along with the increased workload. This kind of performative career development is what’s being called “ghost growth.”
What is ‘ghost growth?’
Similar in some ways to a “quiet promotion,” ghost growth represents “the illusion of career advancement that doesn’t come with a raise, promotion, or any real change in authority.”
That’s according to new research from career platform, MyPerfectResume. A new survey of 1,000 currently employed workers released just in time for Halloween, indicates that 65% of workers have experienced the phenomenon of ghost growth.
How common is ghost growth?
Of those surveyed, a majority, 53%, said while their career looks like it’s progressing, it doesn’t feel like it. And even higher percentage, 66%, accused their employer of engaging in “growth theater,” that is performing support without real outcomes.
Almost half of those surveyed, 49%, believe they’ve hit a career plateau and that their employer is trying to mask it with “superficial” opportunities. With the post-pandemic job-hopping of just a few years ago fading into the rear-view mirror, employees across the board are seemingly taking on more, and getting less in return.
Of those surveyed, 78% said they’d been assigned new duties without a raise or promotion and just 15% said they’d received a raise in the past year that reflected their growing workload. Perhaps even worse, 53% said they’d been promised promotions or opportunities that never materialized.
What are the impacts of ghost growth?
Far from being just a harmless fright, ghost growth can reportedly haunt workers and employers alike. Research indicates that 23% of those who experienced ghost growth felt frustrated with 20% saying it made them feel burnt out.
Another 16% said it led them to start job hunting, while 15% said the phenomenon made them feel entirely disengaged from their job. Another 13% reported that ghost growth led them to feeling trapped in their current job.
Ghost growth, or “growth theater,” the survey concludes, is eroding trust, and more directly, “pushing workers out the door.” The survey revealed that 68% of workers who’ve experienced ghost growth have considered quitting, while another 27% actually have. Of those that have stayed on, 41% are still considering quitting.
What can be done to prevent ghost growth?
When asked what real growth, as opposed to ghost growth, would look like, workers responded as follows:
- 27% want higher pay
- 18% say better work-life balance defines meaningful growth
- 16% want leadership roles or a clear promotion path
- 15% want to build new skills
- 8% said autonomy alone is enough
- 1% chose “other”
Survey methodology
MyPerfectResume conducted the survey using online polling on Aug. 7, 2025 with responses from 1,000 U.S. adults who care currently employed.
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