NEWS

Front Page Top Stories Breaking News World Politics Business Health Food & Wine Women Women in Business Opinion Letters to the Editor High Tech Sports Horoscope Entertainment Entertainment Goss Music Features Books Poetry Movie Reviews Personal Development Home & Garden Industry States UFOs Environment Education SupportOurTroops Middle East South Asia Cartoons NewsBlaze Blog Most Read

WIRES

News Wires

OTHER

About Us Contact Us Writers Editors Link to Us Advertise Sitemap

Recruitment Activity in the UK Rises in December

Online Recruitment Activity in the UK Rises in December

 

- Significant Growth in Online Opportunities for Marketing, PR and Media Occupations Helps Push Monster Employment Index UK Higher —

 

— Online Job Availability in Northern Ireland Sees Marked Increase during Final Month of 2007 —

 

London, January 8, 2008 - Online recruitment activity in the UK rose sharply in December, as the Monster Employment Index added five points, continuing a two-month upward growth trend.  The Monster Employment Index UK is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across Europe, including Monster.co.uk.

 

The Index increased to a level of 174 points last month, partly due to greater online job availability in the marketing, PR and media; and banking, finance, insurance sectors - the latter bouncing back from a significant dip in November. The Index also showed notably higher demand for elementary occupations; and technicians and associate professionals.  Overall, the Index is up 45 points, or 35 percent, compared to December 2006.

 

"It is encouraging to see that online job opportunities expanded strongly in the fourth quarter of 2007 despite early signs of a slowing global economy," said Andrea Bertone, Regional Director, Monster Worldwide Europe. "The Index's stepwise growth since October suggests that the majority of UK industries are still recruiting, although a tight labour market is also a key driver of online recruitment. The UK's low unemployment rate indicates that competition is high for top talent and employers are looking online to source the best candidates."

 

Monster Employment Index UK results over the past 13 months are as follows:

 

Dec 07	Nov 07	Oct 07	Sept 07	Aug 07	Jul 07	Jun 07	May 07	Apr 07	Mar 07	Feb 07	Jan 07	Dec 06
174	169	160	162	167	165	170	162	141	150	140	121	129

 

Online Demand in Marketing, PR and Media Sector Registers Strong Monthly Gain in December

 

A third consecutive increase in online job availability in the marketing, PR and media sector was a key factor in the Index's expansion in December. Opportunities for professionals; and legislators, senior officials and managers jumped the most. Regionally, East Anglia and London experienced the strongest increases.  Year-on-year growth for the sector stands at 81 points - a record 58 percent annual growth rate.

 

Banking, finance, insurance bounced back from a marked decline in November, largely due to increased opportunities for professionals; and technicians and associate professionals. The Index showed an upturn in hiring across all regions last month, with Northern Ireland reporting the highest growth rate. Year-on-year growth is now 21 points, or 13 percent.

 

"Recruiting increased in the majority of industries in the UK in December as employers began preparing for the year ahead, mirroring similar growth in December 2006. However, the Confederation of British Industry has warned that the twin shocks of the credit crunch and high commodity prices will likely slow the UK economy and that the UK job market will undergo a gradual softening next year," added Bertone.

 

In contrast, online recruitment for healthcare, social work dipped significantly as it did in December 2006, suggesting a seasonal downturn in job availability. Service workers and shop and market sales workers saw the strongest decline. Demand in the sector decreased in all regions except East Anglia and Wales.

 

Construction and extraction also declined following two months of growth, as a result of lower demand for plant and machine operators and assemblers.

 

Industry	Dec 07	Nov 07	Oct 07	Sep 07	Aug 07	Jul 07	Jun 07	May 07	Apr 07	Mar 07	Feb 07	Jan 07	Dec 06
Accounting, audit, taxes	122	111	113	119	123	121	122	121	106	129	124	125	125
Administrative, organization	199	192	204	188	195	181	209	205	184	196	179	134	148
Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure	201	195	163	180	172	137	131	135	132	161	137	124	121
Banking, finance, insurance	178	157	177	149	158	173	210	193	187	202	182	146	157
Construction and extraction	161	176	163	147	153	146	141	146	138	138	134	124	129
Education, training and library	192	192	166	141	139	152	143	142	130	129	128	105	114
Engineering	180	177	161	153	165	160	147	149	141	142	137	123	131
Environment, architecture and urbanism	218	203	203	163	175	169	155	157	164	157	148	118	137
Healthcare, social work	176	196	182	177	183	182	171	184	162	149	156	121	133
Hospitality and tourism	133	139	144	134	131	141	140	151	112	139	113	117	113
HR	201	196	189	193	200	187	183	199	195	194	182	157	150
IT	127	125	114	117	124	132	125	124	108	118	114	105	108
Legal	229	210	185	186	195	201	248	215	195	248	217	181	201
Management and consulting	192	184	178	186	185	177	198	163	156	157	154	130	145
Marketing, PR and media	221	198	185	178	185	181	186	175	171	177	154	124	140
Production, manufacturing, maintenance, Repair	109	112	107	112	114	113	106	105	98	99	97	99	99
Public Sector, defence, community	102	107	102	100	99	101	96	102	97	98	99	98	96
Research and development	143	136	134	145	142	129	141	129	123	129	125	96	108
Sales	142	141	136	173	171	170	179	158	119	123	117	107	113
Telecommunication	120	134	122	116	119	119	123	125	117	120	122	101	113
Transport, post  and logistics	149	140	139	143	142	133	127	129	118	115	110	98	102

 

Online Demand for Elementary Occupations Soars in December

 

Online job availability for elementary occupations jumped 32 points in December - the fifth successive monthly increase. The strongest gain was in the construction and extraction sector, while London saw the biggest upturn in online job offers. However, year-on-year growth for the category is just a modest two points, indicating slower than average growth for unskilled labour.

 

The technicians and associate professionals category rebounded from a dip in November, rising 15 points. Online job offerings increased mainly in IT; and transport, post and logistics. The strongest growth was seen in Northern Ireland.

 

Plant and machine operators and assemblers experienced the most significant decline last month, dropping 47 points following a temporary surge in demand in November and October. The decrease was principally due to fewer opportunities in the construction and extraction; and production, manufacturing, maintenance, repair sectors. All regions registered fewer opportunities for these occupations, except Northern Ireland and Scotland.

 

There was also a downturn in demand for clerks in December after a notable increase during the previous month. The IT; and public sector, defence, community sectors were most responsible for the dip, offsetting a greater number of opportunities in arts, entertainment, sports, leisure. Overall, year-on-year growth for the clerks category remains strong at 32 percent.

 

Occupation Group	Dec 07	Nov 07	Oct 07	Sept 07	Aug 07	Jul 07	Jun 07	May 07	Apr 07	Mar 07	Feb 07	Jan 07	Dec 06
Legislators, senior officials and managers	148	148	142	167	166	164	168	148	115	120	110	101	107
Professionals	185	178	165	168	174	178	180	170	148	161	152	131	139
Technicians and associate professionals	165	150	153	144	151	150	164	161	150	160	149	126	135
Clerks	146	158	148	157	157	137	136	147	129	129	124	106	111
Service workers and shop and market sales workers	145	147	143	138	140	143	142	159	121	141	119	120	126
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers	160	190	153	158	137	141	147	165	154	126	130	114	106
Craft  and related workers	292	294	257	297	299	272	246	245	225	213	218	176	184
Plant and machine operators and assemblers	114	161	129	114	113	115	112	115	114	114	115	111	107
Elementary occupations	121	89	88	87	87	87	101	116	113	116	110	111	119

 

Northern Ireland Leads Regional Online Recruitment Growth in December

 

Online recruitment activity in all UK regions either grew or remained constant in December.  Northern Ireland reversed a two month decline, registering the strongest monthly rate of increase due to expanded opportunities in the IT; and arts, entertainment, sports leisure sectors. Job availability for technicians and associate professionals also rose significantly. Year-on-year growth for the Northern Ireland region stands at 42 percent.

 

Wales also saw a sizeable increase in online job demand last month, following a three-month downward trend. More opportunities in the IT; education, training and library sectors were key to this increase, and offers for technicians and associate professionals rose sharply.

 

Region	Dec 07	Nov 07	Oct 07	Sept 07	Aug 07	Jul 07	Jun 07	May 07	Apr 07	Mar 07	Feb 07	Jan 07	Dec 06
Midlands	183	177	172	170	176	171	168	170	151	162	157	126	136
North England	187	183	171	172	178	168	176	177	156	164	156	148	145
London	147	146	140	142	145	144	150	142	131	139	133	115	126
South East	132	132	127	127	128	129	135	129	119	123	119	110	116
South West	286	264	250	266	281	266	221	226	180	179	163	131	150
Wales	232	207	209	213	220	211	216	211	172	178	173	177	166
Scotland	160	142	146	156	161	162	150	153	135	141	122	162	114
East Anglia	172	163	159	166	174	177	175	167	162	177	168	139	139
Northern Ireland	166	135	137	151	129	142	146	140	132	129	143	128	117

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The South West also registered a significant jump in December, led by strength in the banking, finance, insurance; IT; and education, training and library. Overall, the South West was the Index's top growth region in the UK during 2007, registering a 91 percent annual rate of increase.

 

Monster Employment Index UK data for January will be released on February 12, 2008.

 

About The Monster Employment Index UK

 

Providing a broad, comprehensive monthly analysis of online job demand, the Monster Employment Index UK is an extension of the Monster Employment Index Europe, which is compiled each month by researchers at Monster Worldwide Europe. 

 

Launched in June 2005, the Monster Employment Index Europe provides monthly insight into recruitment trends across the European Union. The Index report is based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across Europe, including Monster®. The Index is audited by Research America, Inc. and provides analyses of online job demand within occupational categories, industry sectors and regions.

 

Monthly Index reports for France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Europe are available at: http://www.monsterworldwide.com/Press_Room/MEI_EU.asp  

 

About Monster Worldwide

 

Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), parent company of Monster®, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to bring people together to advance their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ 100. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com.  More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.monsterworldwide.com.

 

Special Note:

 

Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding Monster Worldwide, Inc.'s strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of Monster Worldwide's control, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward- looking statements, including economic and other conditions in the markets in which Monster Worldwide operates, risks associated with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in Monster Worldwide's Form 10-K/A and other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.