diff --git a/backend/api_core.py b/backend/api_core.py
index 0117be6..2ad3f2f 100644
--- a/backend/api_core.py
+++ b/backend/api_core.py
@@ -8602,10 +8602,16 @@ def _handle_routes(db):
         budget_type = params.get("budget_type")
         min_budget = params.get("min_budget")
         max_budget = params.get("max_budget")
-        status_filter = params.get("status", "open")
+        status_filter = params.get("status")
+        if status_filter:
+            status_condition = "j.status = ?"
+            status_values = [status_filter]
+        else:
+            status_condition = "j.status IN (?, ?)"
+            status_values = ["open", "reviewing"]
 
-        conditions = ["j.status = ?", f"j.employer_id NOT IN ({public_non_seeded_user_subquery()})"]
-        values = [status_filter] + seeded_sample_email_values()
+        conditions = [status_condition, f"j.employer_id NOT IN ({public_non_seeded_user_subquery()})"]
+        values = status_values + seeded_sample_email_values()
 
         if category:
             conditions.append("j.category = ?")
diff --git a/backend/test_deep_audit_regressions.py b/backend/test_deep_audit_regressions.py
index f653e2b..09e1e9d 100644
--- a/backend/test_deep_audit_regressions.py
+++ b/backend/test_deep_audit_regressions.py
@@ -1823,7 +1823,7 @@ def test_jobs_page_highlights_worker_activation_path(self):
         for snippet in [
             "No public jobs right now",
             "Create a worker profile",
-            "open job${total === 1 ? '' : 's'} · newest first",
+            "job${total === 1 ? '' : 's'} accepting applications · newest first",
             "worker_jobs_apply_cta_click",
             "worker_job_card_apply_click",
             "Apply now",
@@ -1833,6 +1833,53 @@ def test_jobs_page_highlights_worker_activation_path(self):
         for contradictory in ["New paid jobs", "View open jobs"]:
             self.assertNotIn(contradictory, text)
 
+    def test_public_jobs_default_includes_every_application_accepting_status(self):
+        db = self.module.get_db()
+        try:
+            db.execute(
+                "INSERT INTO users (id,email,password_hash,name) VALUES (1,'buyer@real-company.example','x','Real Buyer')"
+            )
+            db.execute(
+                "INSERT INTO users (id,email,password_hash,name) VALUES (2,'sarah.chen@example.com','x','Seeded Buyer')"
+            )
+            db.execute(
+                "INSERT INTO users (id,email,password_hash,name) VALUES (3,'worker@real-company.example','x','Real Worker')"
+            )
+            db.execute(
+                "INSERT INTO sessions (user_id,token,expires_at) VALUES (3,'tok-reviewing-discovery',datetime('now','+1 day'))"
+            )
+            for job_id, employer_id, title, status in [
+                (1, 1, "Fresh public job", "open"),
+                (2, 1, "Public job under review", "open"),
+                (3, 1, "Already hired job", "hired"),
+                (4, 2, "Seeded sample job", "open"),
+            ]:
+                db.execute(
+                    """INSERT INTO jobs
+                       (id,employer_id,title,description,category,budget_type,budget_amount,status)
+                       VALUES (?,?,?,?,?,'fixed',25,?)""",
+                    [job_id, employer_id, title, "Bounded work", "testing", status],
+                )
+            db.commit()
+        finally:
+            db.close()
+
+        status, application = self._request_api(
+            "POST",
+            "/jobs/2/apply",
+            {"cover_message": "I can complete this bounded review."},
+            "tok-reviewing-discovery",
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(status, 201, application)
+
+        status, response = self._request_api("GET", "/jobs")
+        self.assertEqual(status, 200, response)
+        self.assertEqual(response["total"], 2)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            {job["id"]: job["status"] for job in response["jobs"]},
+            {1: "open", 2: "reviewing"},
+        )
+
 
     def test_public_homepage_visual_cleanup_invariants(self):
         text = (REPO_ROOT / "frontend/index.html").read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="ignore")
diff --git a/frontend/index.html b/frontend/index.html
index 2751b16..743a595 100644
--- a/frontend/index.html
+++ b/frontend/index.html
@@ -2004,7 +2004,7 @@ <h2>No public jobs right now</h2>
     } else {
       if (summary) {
         summary.hidden = false;
-        summary.textContent = `${total} open job${total === 1 ? '' : 's'} · newest first`;
+        summary.textContent = `${total} job${total === 1 ? '' : 's'} accepting applications · newest first`;
       }
       if (filtersEl) filtersEl.hidden = false;
       if (layout) layout.classList.remove('is-empty');
@@ -2061,6 +2061,10 @@ <h3 class="job-card-title">${esc(j.title)}</h3>
     </div>`;
 }
 
+function jobAcceptsApplications(job) {
+  return ['open', 'reviewing'].includes(job?.status);
+}
+
 let jobFilterDebounce = null;
 function debounceJobFilter() {
   clearTimeout(jobFilterDebounce);
@@ -2093,7 +2097,8 @@ <h3 class="job-card-title">${esc(j.title)}</h3>
     const job = await api(`/jobs/${id}`);
     const skills = safeParseJSON(job.required_skills, []);
     const isOwner = state.user && String(state.user.id) === String(job.employer_id);
-    const shouldAutoApply = getQuery().get('apply') === '1' && state.user && job.status === 'open' && !isOwner;
+    const acceptsApplications = jobAcceptsApplications(job);
+    const shouldAutoApply = getQuery().get('apply') === '1' && state.user && acceptsApplications && !isOwner;
 
     document.getElementById('app').innerHTML = `
       ${renderPublicNav('jobs')}
@@ -2141,10 +2146,10 @@ <h1 class="detail-title">${esc(job.title)}</h1>
                 ${job.due_by ? `<div class="svc-order-meta-item">${I.clock} <span>Due: ${new Date(job.due_by).toLocaleDateString()}</span></div>` : ''}
                 <div class="svc-order-meta-item">${I.location} <span>${esc(job.location_type==='remote'?'Remote':(job.location_detail||job.location_type||''))}</span></div>
               </div>
-              ${job.status === 'open' && !isOwner
+              ${acceptsApplications && !isOwner
                 ? `<button class="btn btn-primary btn-lg" style="width:100%" onclick="handleJobApply(${id})">${state.user ? 'Apply to This Job' : 'Sign in to Apply'}</button>
                    <p class="svc-order-note">Free to apply. No payment needed until you're hired. ${state.user ? 'Application opens in this page.' : 'We will bring you back to this job after sign-in.'}</p>`
-                : job.status !== 'open'
+                : !acceptsApplications
                   ? `<p style="font-size:var(--text-sm);color:var(--color-text-faint);text-align:center">This job is no longer accepting applications.</p>`
                   : ''}
             </div>
diff --git a/frontend/tests/browser-regression.spec.js b/frontend/tests/browser-regression.spec.js
index 1cc8b65..c9d38ff 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/browser-regression.spec.js
+++ b/frontend/tests/browser-regression.spec.js
@@ -1332,6 +1332,55 @@ test.describe('GoHireHumans public/browser regression suite', () => {
     await expect(page.getByText('View open jobs', { exact: true })).toHaveCount(0);
   });
 
+  test('reviewing jobs remain discoverable and applicable while applications are accepted', async ({ page }) => {
+    await setupDeterministicLocalPage(page);
+    const reviewingJob = {
+      id: 42,
+      employer_id: 8,
+      employer_name: 'GoHireHumans Operations',
+      title: 'Review a live workflow',
+      description: 'Return screenshots and a prioritized issue list.',
+      category: 'testing',
+      status: 'reviewing',
+      budget_type: 'fixed',
+      budget_amount: 35,
+      location_type: 'remote',
+      created_at: '2026-07-21T00:00:00Z',
+      application_count: 1
+    };
+    await page.route('https://gohirehumans-production.up.railway.app/jobs**', route => {
+      const url = new URL(route.request().url());
+      if (url.pathname.endsWith('/jobs/42')) {
+        return route.fulfill({ status: 200, contentType: 'application/json', body: JSON.stringify(reviewingJob) });
+      }
+      if (url.pathname.endsWith('/jobs/43')) {
+        return route.fulfill({
+          status: 200,
+          contentType: 'application/json',
+          body: JSON.stringify({ ...reviewingJob, id: 43, title: 'Already hired workflow', status: 'hired' })
+        });
+      }
+      return route.fulfill({
+        status: 200,
+        contentType: 'application/json',
+        body: JSON.stringify({ jobs: [reviewingJob], total: 1 })
+      });
+    });
+
+    await page.goto('/#/jobs', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
+    await expect(page.getByText('Review a live workflow')).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.locator('#jobs-summary')).toHaveText('1 job accepting applications · newest first');
+    await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Apply now' }).click();
+    await expect(page).toHaveURL(/#\/jobs\/42$/);
+    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Sign in to Apply' })).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.locator('body')).not.toContainText('This job is no longer accepting applications.');
+
+    await page.goto('/#/jobs/43', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
+    await expect(page.getByText('Already hired workflow')).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.getByText('This job is no longer accepting applications.')).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: /Apply/ })).toHaveCount(0);
+  });
+
   test('filtered-empty marketplace states preserve truthful recovery paths', async ({ page }) => {
     await setupDeterministicLocalPage(page);
     await page.route('https://gohirehumans-production.up.railway.app/jobs**', route => route.fulfill({