SINGAPORE – A new lexicon has emerged to describe the strange, sometimes bleak contours of the modern economy, its terms of engagement and consequences. From “price walking” to AI girlfriends, here are some everyday dystopian terms to help make sense of today’s economy.

1. Ghost jobs

These are job listings created by companies with no intention to fill them – a common frustration experienced by online jobseekers.

“Ghost jobs” are not scams, but rather a manifestation of flaws in the recruitment ecosystem, The Wall Street Journal reported in January. Some companies want to give the impression that they are growing or may keep vacancies open on the off chance that a stellar candidate comes their way.

Such phantom vacancies are not uncommon. According to an analysis of internal data by global hiring platform Greenhouse, between 18 and 22 per cent of jobs advertised in 2024 were vacancies that were never eventually filled.

2. Quiet vacationing

This refers to the practice of employees working remotely while travelling, without telling their bosses or formally requesting leave.

Quiet vacationers indulge in this practice because of pandemic-driven shifts towards remote work, concerns about voicing their desire for greater work-life balance and wanting to make the most of limited time off.

“Employees are working longer hours in an increasingly competitive job market, while also feeling the urge to fulfil pent-up travel desires post-pandemic,” says Dr Sriram Iyer, adjunct lecturer at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School. “This leads to a trend in which individuals combine work and leisure by taking vacations while still attending to work obligations.”

He also notes that the introduction of the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests in April marks a growing recognition of the desire for flexible work that is fuelling the quiet vacationing trend.

3. Productivity the...