‘Ghost Growth’ Trend Leaves Workers Frustrated and Burned Out, Report Finds

A growing number of American workers say their careers appear to be advancing only on paper, according to a new report highlighting a troubling workplace phenomenon known as “ghost growth.” The report, released by career platform My Perfect Resume, found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. employees have experienced surface-level career development that fails to bring real improvements in pay, title, or opportunity—an issue experts warn is undermining morale and fueling burnout across workplaces.

Workers Report Illusory Advancement

Based on a survey of 1,000 employed Americans, the study revealed that nearly half of respondents feel their careers have reached a plateau, despite employers offering what many describe as “superficial opportunities” to create the illusion of progress. Career expert Jasmine Escalera said the trend often “looks like success on paper,” but leaves employees doing more without the rewards to match.

“They’ll give you something to make you feel content and to stick around,” Escalera explained, “but they won’t actually give you the title to represent the work that you’re doing, or the pay to represent the additional work that you’re taking on, or even the career progression you’re looking for.”

Escalera added that she personally encountered ghost growth earlier in her career, when her responsibilities expanded significantly but her position and compensation remained the same. “It can’t just be, ‘Here’s a bunch of work we want you to do,’ and a pat on the back,” she said. “That’s not enough. It also needs to be translated into potential bonuses and titles.”

A group of people working | Source: Pexels

A ‘Recipe for Disaster’ for Workplace Morale

The report found that 23% of respondents felt frustrated by ghost growth, while 20% said it led to burnout. Alarmingly, 68% of workers indicated they have considered quitting their jobs because their apparent career advancement lacked real substance.

Escalera warned that such conditions are “a recipe for disaster” for employee morale. Many workers are willing to take on work and showcase their value, "but if their efforts don’t lead to tangible changes in pay, title or skill development, employees will begin to check out at work," she said.

She added that the problem often stems from a lack of meaningful communication between staff and management. “I think they’re just feeling like, okay, I am almost kind of being appeased, but no one’s actually listening to me,” she said.

When asked what outcomes they most desired, 27% of workers cited higher pay as their top priority, followed by better work-life balance (18%) and opportunities for leadership roles (16%).

Call for Authentic Career Development

Escalera said the survey results should serve as “a very big wake-up call” for employers who rely on symbolic gestures rather than genuine growth opportunities to retain staff. “Workers know what the deal is now,” she said. “They understand completely that this is just a form of appeasement to keep them around, and it’s not satisfying their needs.”

Woman working | Source: Pexels

To counteract ghost growth, she urged employers to hold open conversations with staff about career goals and to establish clear pathways for advancement. One strategy she recommended is the creation of personalized career maps that outline skill-building opportunities and promotion targets.

For employees, Escalera advised preparing data and examples of their contributions before discussing pay or promotion with managers. “Get together some information, some talking points, showcasing how you deserve the promotion or the pay raise because of the value that you’re contributing,” she said.

If those discussions fail to produce a concrete growth plan, Escalera said, workers may need to update their resumes and explore other opportunities. "If top employees are looking for growth opportunities, companies need to find a way to make that happen—or risk losing them."