Thousands of job ads posted on Hello Work, the nationwide public employment service, are misleading job-seekers by listing exaggerated pay and conditions, an investigation has found. The labor ministry on Thursday said inquiries into roughly 9,380 complaints from job-seekers found 41 percent of advertisers listed false or misleading data. Applicants reported being forced to work longer hours than described, and for less pay, and being told to sacrifice holidays they are entitled to by law, according to the probe, conducted by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry. ... The ratio of fraudulent ads may have been even greater than 41 percent because in a further 27 percent of cases, job-seekers who complained did not respond to further inquiries, officials said. ... Public outcry over the “burakku kigyo” (black enterprise) phenomenon was the trigger for this investigation, said Yotaro Otsuka, a senior ministry official. The trend emerged during the sharp economic slump caused by the 2008 global financial crisis, when employers found they could exploit desperate workers. ... In March, the ministry instructed Hello Work offices to scrutinize job ads by talking to company representatives in person and to act swiftly when problems are detected, Otsuka said. It also set up a complaints hot line for job-seekers who might choose not to take their grievance to Hello Work directly. A public information campaign urges them to speak up, with posters at job offices and notices on the ministry website.