Monster Online Job Availability Index Up Slightly

New York, NY, May 31, 2007–The Monster Employment Index rose three points in May, suggesting U.S. online recruitment activity and related demand for workers has stabilized at the end of the busy spring hiring season. Overall, 13 of 20 industries and seven of 23 occupational categories tracked by the Index registered increases of varying degrees last month. Year-over-year, the Index’s annual growth rate dipped slightly to 13 percent, but showed a moderate improvement over the slower pace recorded in the first quarter of this year. The Monster Employment Index is based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from more than 1,500 different Web sites, including Monster(R).

“Despite registering a more moderate annual rate of increase compared to the same period last year, the Monster Employment Index has shown stepwise growth in online job availability since the beginning of the year, reflecting a relatively stable U.S. labor market,” said Steve Pogorzelski, Group President, International at Monster Worldwide. “The Index’s steady, upward trajectory is encouraging news for job seekers, particularly for this year’s graduating class, who are now actively entering the workforce. The healthcare sector is just one example where skill shortages remain acute and online recruitment efforts have continued to intensify over the past several months,” added Pogorzelski.

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting; Information; and Educational Services Industries Show Greater Demand for Workers in May

The agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industry category registered the highest rate of increase in online job opportunities last month, mirroring Index findings from previous years, as businesses in these sectors stepped up recruitment activity ahead of the busy summer season. Online job availability for workers in the information industry also rose sharply during the month, causing the category to register its largest increase in more than two years.

Demand for workers in the educational services industry climbed for the eleventh consecutive month, edging up three points between April and May. The educational services industry category is now up 14 percent over the year, amid a wider array of online job offers for both full-time and substitute teachers across the country.

By contrast, online demand within most industries in the goods-producing sector dipped sharply in May, including mining, utilities, construction and manufacturing. Year-over-year, four industries are showing reduced online job availability, including finance and insurance; and arts, entertainment and recreation. The transportation and warehousing category, on the other hand, is up 54 percent over the year and showing the strongest gain among the 20 industries tracked.

Online recruitment activity for healthcare workers rose again in May, with the Index showing an increased number of employment opportunities in the practitioners and technical; as well as support category, and reflecting continued strong demand for a wide range of healthcare positions. Both categories are among the fastest growing on a year-over-year basis, following a gradual acceleration since the beginning of the year, reflecting broad, sustained shortages among both higher- and lower-level skilled healthcare workers.

Education, training and library occupations were also in slightly greater demand between April and May, pushing the category up two points. Year-over-year, the category is up 19 percent and showing its highest annual growth rate in more than two years, suggesting that the demand for teachers is outweighing the supply of willing and available candidates.

Online opportunities for blue-collar occupations such construction and extraction; installation, maintenance and repair; production; and transportation and material moving all declined by varying degrees or remained flat on the month, suggesting weak overall hiring activity in the country’s manufacturing sector. According to the BLS, factory employment continued its long slide in April, shedding 19,000 jobs, and is now down 117,000 jobs over the past year.

The Index’s May findings also showed moderately reduced online demand for workers in all major white-collar occupations, including management; business and financial operations; computer and mathematical (IT); architecture and engineering; and life, physical and social science.

Online recruitment activity in the New England region rose sharply for the fourth consecutive month in May, amid increased online job availability for technology and science-related occupations across Massachusetts, and stronger overall demand for workers in Maine. The New England region’s gain last month brought its year-over-year growth pace up to 17 percent. In contrast, online opportunities in the Pacific region eased during May, largely due to softer recruitment activity in California.

A total of 37 U.S. states registered increased online job demand last month with North Carolina reporting the highest rate of growth in online job availability on a year-over-year basis.