Comment from Monster UK on Employment Figures

Please find comments below from Hugo Sellert on the ONS employment figures which were issued at 09.30 yesterday (11th February 2009).

Figures released by the ONS for the three months ending December 2008, show that the UK employment rate has fallen to 74.1 per cent from the previous quarter, down 0.3 per cent from the previous quarter. The latest figures show that the UK unemployment rate increased 0.4 per cent from the previous quarter, up 1.1 percent on the previous year.

The Monster Employment Index UK figures released yesterday, show online job recruitment activity across the United Kingdom dropped sharply in January, hitting its lowest level on record. Compared to a year ago the UK online job market has shrunk 31 per cent the steepest contraction on record. The Index tallies with the findings of the ONS.

The quote below is Hugo Sellertís, Worldwide Head of Economic Research at Monsterí, view on the UK job market:

ìThe job market is an obvious casualty of the deepening recession. Online advertised vacancies reached a two-and–a-half-year low in January,î

ìThere are some bright spots though. Demand remains strong for healthcare, education and other public sector workers as government programmes work to offset private sector job losses.î