If you’ve ever recruited for a position, there’s a high chance some of your candidates lied during the hiring process.

Seven in ten workers admit to having lied on their résumés, according to a survey of over 1,900 U.S.-based workers from ResumeLab. And of the remaining 30% who haven’t lied, half say they’ve considered fibbing. The most used lies respondents put on their résumés were embellishing their responsibilities (52%), lying about their job title (52%), and lying about how many people they managed (45%). 

Candidates lie on their cover letters and during job interviews, too. Seventy-six percent of respondents say they’ve lied on their cover letter, and 50% say they lie frequently. Meanwhile, around 80% of respondents say they’ve lied during the job interview, 44% doing so often.

While the rates of lying were around the same for most demographic groups, the survey found that applicants with master’s or doctoral degrees are the group most likely to lie. Eighty-five percent of advanced degree holders say they’ve lied on their résumé, 90% have lied on their cover letter, and 88% have lied during the job interview. Those without college degrees reported the second-highest rates of lying, while bachelor’s degree holders were the least likely to lie on their résumé, cover letter, or job interview. Still, over two-thirds or higher of respondents from every education level confess to lying.

Many job seekers, especially entry-level ones, may feel like they have to resort to lying to get their foot in the door. Earlier this summer, I saw a TikTok post by a young college graduate tearfully lamenting that she could not find a full-time job for two years because she lacked any job experience (a common phenomenon for many new job seekers). One of the top comments, garnering nearly 8,000 likes, plainly told the creator: “Lie. Say you worked at your parents’ business doing whatever it is in your field. I had to do that out of college.” 

Others find different ways to skirt the truth, like telling interviewers they can’t discuss a gap in their résumé because they signed an NDA. But it’s not just job applicants doing the lying. One-third of hiring managers admit to lying to candidates, according to a survey conducted in August by ResumeBuilder.com.

“I’m seeing this more in several different surveys we’re doing about lying. It is becoming more acceptable in our culture, which is horrifying,” Stacie Haller, Resume Builder’s chief career advisor, told me in August. “The folks who are earlier in their careers are living in this world. So why wouldn’t they think it’s okay to lie in these cases? There is no doubt that lying and its prominence in our society and our culture has had an effect on what we’re talking about today.”

Paige McGlauflin
paige.mcglauflin@fortune.com
@paidion

Reporter's Notebook

The most compelling data, quotes, and insights from the field.

U.S. employers added 336,000 jobs in September, marking the strongest gain since January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ newest jobs report. The BLS also revised its jobs increase estimate for July and August, bringing the total number of jobs added in those months to 236,000 and 227,000, respectively. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8%.

Around the Table

A round-up of the most important HR headlines.

- Turnover rates for technology executives dropped 15% from last year as strict relocation requirements at some companies repel applicants. Wall Street Journal

- A lack of career progression opportunities, stagnant wages, and cost-cutting leave young professionals in Hollywood with no choice but to switch career paths. Insider

- A proposed class-action lawsuit was filed against SpaceX last week by a former employee who claims the company pays women and minority employees less than male and white employees for the same work. Bloomberg

- The United Auto Workers union announced it would not expand strikes to more Detroit automaker plants as negotiations, including GM’s move to include battery cell workers in its agreements, improve. CNBC

Watercooler

Everything you need to know from Fortune.

Slowing hype train. Companies are rushing to hire talent well-versed in AI, but Charlie Munger, Warren Buffet’s right-hand man, thinks the technology is overhyped and remains cynical about its use. —Chloe Taylor

Brace for replace. Suumit Shah, the CEO of Indian e-commerce platform Duukan, fired 90% of his customer service employees and replaced them with AI chatbots. He believes he’ll be the first of many CEOs to do so. —Orianna Rosa Royle

Back to work. The Kaiser Permanente strike, which saw 75,000 health care workers strike for better wages and other demands, ended Saturday morning after its scheduled three days. The union’s goal was to raise public interest in the issues facing health care workers. —Stefanie Dazio, AP