Just because a job gets posted doesn't mean it is actually available to be filled. The barrier to posting jobs to LinkedIn or other hiring platforms is extremely low.

Don't let yourself be fooled into a false sense of confidence, you'd really need to test out the process to see if it can produce a real job offer! Doubly so in the current climate..

Recruiters are always selling and networking, regardless of the number of openings to fill. If there are few jobs every reference call is vital sales call to fill the account managers funnel. This is why, especially in slow times like this, you don't give references until after the technical interview.