More Americans are becoming cautious about sharing their personal contact information, including when applying for jobs. A survey by Cloaked of U.S. adults found that 22% of Gen Z respondents withhold their real phone number or email address on job applications, compared with 7% of baby boomers.
The finding comes as Americans report growing concerns about how their contact details are used and exposed. Respondents said they keep the same primary phone number for an average of 12 years and the same email address for 14 years, with approximately 25 accounts tied to each.
Job Applicants Are Protecting Their Personal Contact Details
Gen Z and millennials were the most likely generations to withhold their contact information in everyday situations. Overall, 90% of both groups said they avoid sharing their real phone number or email in at least one situation, compared with 81% of baby boomers.
The survey did not establish why applicants withhold their information specifically on job applications. Across all situations, however, respondents cited avoiding unwanted contact as the leading reason, followed by concerns about scams, fraud, and data privacy.
More than nine in 10 respondents said they use at least one workaround to avoid sharing their primary contact details. These include providing a secondary email address, leaving contact fields blank, or using a fake phone number.
Businesses Are Losing Access To The Contact Information People Prefer To Keep Private
Companies are a common source of regret when it comes to sharing personal phone numbers. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they had regretted giving out their real number, most often to a company or business.
The survey found that 89% of Americans refuse to share their real phone number or email address in at least one everyday situation. Avoiding nuisance contact was the most frequently cited reason, followed by concerns about personal harm from scams or fraud and data privacy.
These findings suggest that businesses requesting personal contact information may encounter more people who prefer to use secondary details or withhold their information altogether.
For employers and businesses, the survey offers a reason to consider how and when they request personal contact details.
