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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Engineering Helps Drive Growth in UK Jobs Market, According to Monster Employment Index

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly gauge of online job posting activity based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of career web sites and online job listings across Europe. The Index does not reflect the trend of any one advertiser or source, but is an aggregate measure of the change in job listings across the industry

May 2012 Index Highlights:

  • The Monster Employment Index UK registers a three percent increase in online job opportunities year-over-year
  • Engineering charts the highest online recruitment growth year-over-year, at 20 percent. The Public Sector, HR and Hospitality and tourism also continue to demonstrate robust annual growth
  • Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure sees the largest decline in recruitment activity year-over-year
  • The Midlands continues to lead all regions with 15 percent growth year-over-year. Wales shows further decline for the fifth consecutive month
  • Plant and machine operators, and assemblers again exhibit the highest annual growth in online recruitment of all occupational groups at 13 percent

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly gauge of online job posting activity based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of career web sites and online job listings across Europe. The Index does not reflect the trend of any one advertiser or source, but is an aggregate measure of the change in job listings across the industry.

“Despite the slowdown in the UK’s economy and the problems in the Eurozone, it is encouraging to see an increase in online job opportunities since this time last year. This aligns with recent ONS unemployment figures, which show a reduction in joblessness,” comments Julian Acquari, Managing Director of Monster UK & Ireland. “The increase in online recruitment is led by the engineering sector, which has seen a 20 percent rise over the last year, as well as significant growth in a range of occupations including HR, hospitality and tourism and construction. When we see opportunities spread across a range of industries in this way it’s one sign of stability.”

Dec 10

Jan 11

Feb 11

Mar 11

Apr 11

May 11

Jun 11

Jul 11

Aug 11

Sep 11

Oct 11

Nov 11

Dec 11

Jan 12

Feb 12

Mar 12

Apr

12

May

12

Y-O-Y GROWTH

133

128

139

137

138

136

141

140

138

135

140

140

141

129

145

148

140

140

3%

Industry Year-over-year Trends: 15 of the 21 industry sectors monitored by the Index exhibited annual growth in May.

  • Engineering (up 20 percent) regained its position as the top performing industry in May, with activity particularly high in the Professionals group
  • Public Sector, defence, community (up 14 percent) continued to demonstrate robust annual growth for the fourth consecutive month, driven by volunteer and part-time workers
  • Hospitality and tourism (up 11 percent) noted increased online recruitment year-over-year in May, in line with growth seen in March and April
  • Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure (down 16 percent) fell for the third consecutive month in May, dropping to the lowest level since November 2009. Reductions were particularly notable in the Service and sales workers, and Technicians and associate professionals occupations

Top Growth Industries

 

Lowest Growth Industries

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Industry

May 11

May

12

%

Growth

Y-o-y

 

Industry

May

11

May

12

%

Growth

Y-o-y

Engineering

137

164

20%

 

Marketing, PR and media

148

148

0%

Public sector, defence, community

85

97

14%

 

Legal

111

108

-3%

HR

76

85

12%

 

Management and consulting

176

168

-5%

Hospitality and tourism

127

141

11%

 

Banking, finance, insurance

107

102

-5%

Construction and extraction

83

92

11%

 

Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure

147

123

-16%

 


 

Occupation Year-over-year Trends: Five of the nine occupational groups monitored by the Index recorded annual growth in the May Index, one remained flat and the other three declined.

  • Plant and machine operators and assemblers (up 13 percent) again exhibited the highest annual growth in online recruitment due to increased demand in the Production, manufacturing, maintenance, repair sector
  • Craft and related trades workers (up 12 percent) demonstrated a slight increase in demand year-over-year, albeit at a slower pace than in previous months
  • Elementary occupations (down 24 percent) continued to exhibit the lowest performance year-over-year

Top Growth Occupations

 

Lowest Growth Occupations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Occupation

May 11

May 12

%

Growth

Y-o-y

 

Occupation

May 11

May 12

%

Growth

Y-o-y

Plant and machine operators, and assemblers

77

87

13%

 

Service and sales workers

78

76

-3%

Craft and related  trades workers

182

204

12%

 

Managers

107

100

-7%

Clerical support workers

133

141

6%

 

Elementary occupations

71

54

-24%

 

Geographic year-over-year Trends: Four of the nine UK regions registered annual gains in online recruitment in May.

  • The Midlands (up 15 percent) continued to lead all regions by measure of annual growth, supported by increased online recruitment activity across engineering, IT and sales
  • London (up three percent) reversed its negative trend and charted annual growth in online job opportunities, following last month’s decline
  • For the fifth consecutive month Wales (down 15 percent) noted further reductions in online recruitment compared to a year ago

Top Growth Regions

 

 

Lowest Growth Regions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Region

May

11

May 12

%

Growth

Y-o-y

 

Region

May

11

May 12

%

Growth

Y-o-y

Midlands

144

165

15%

 

Northern Ireland

120

119

-1%

South East

117

123

5%

 

Scotland

117

113

-3%

North England

165

172

4%

 

Wales

236

201

-15%

 

International Trends:

The Monster Employment Index Europe demonstrated year-over-year growth of six percent in May, matching the rate of annual growth recorded in April. Germany retained an annual growth of 19 percent for the second consecutive month, Netherlands continued to chart the greatest decline in online hiring activity compared to year-ago levels (down 21 percent). Environment, architecture, urbanism noted substantial growth over the year and led all industries in the Index with opportunities increasing by 23 percent; Public sector, defence community (down six percent) continued to exhibit the steepest annual decline. Craft and related trades workers remained in the greatest demand of all occupational groups year-over-year.

To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for May 2012, and to access current individual data charts for each of the seven European markets tracked, please visit http://about-monster.com/employment/index/17. Data for the month of June will be released on July 10, 2012.

 

By Industry          

Industry

May 11

Jun 11

Jul 11

Aug 11

Sep 11

Oct 11

Nov 11

Dec 11

Jan 12

Feb 12

Mar 12

Apr 12

May 12

Y-O-Y GROWTH

Accounting, audit, taxes

106

114

109

108

105

107

108

110

101

114

109

108

110

4%

Administrative, organisation

109

116

106

117

116

118

113

117

105

122

126

125

118

8%

Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure

147

150

135

134

142

138

135

147

137

144

148

127

123

-16%

Banking, finance, insurance

107

108

109

107

105

107

109

105

101

105

107

108

102

-5%

Construction and extraction

83

90

95

97

99

98

100

93

81

94

100

94

92

11%

Education, training and library

263

294

285

251

225

254

245

273

243

281

284

297

274

4%

Engineering

137

148

154

152

152

155

157

163

149

160

168

160

164

20%

Environment, architecture and urbanism

64

69

70

70

70

71

71

75

66

71

70

65

66

3%

Healthcare, social work

345

359

362

330

332

329

343

353

339

353

357

351

355

3%

Hospitality and tourism

127

133

137

124

125

132

129

130

116

130

134

140

141

11%

HR

76

80

82

81

80

83

79

81

76

85

84

82

85

12%

IT

114

122

124

125

120

123

129

129

123

139

144

126

125

10%

Legal

111

108

105

109

104

105

104

100

107

107

111

107

108

-3%

Management and consulting

176

185

181

172

166

170

163

166

148

173

187

169

168

-5%

Marketing, PR and media

148

160

157

155

151

154

148

147

134

156

156

156

148

0%

Production, manufacturing, maintenance, Repair

149

164

176

165

161

166

154

166

147

159

160

147

155

4%

Public sector, defence, community

85

84

83

83

81

84

83

85

88

99

100

98

97

14%

Research and development

140

135

133

133

131

145

154

151

127

143

144

139

148

6%

Sales

110

120

118

119

116

121

121

118

111

121

120

118

117

6%

Telecommunications

72

74

72

72

72

72

72

73

69

78

74

72

72

0%

Transport, post  and logistics

167

182

185

185

189

193

191

182

154

174

179

177

176

 

By Occupation

Occupation

May 11

Jun 11

Jul 11

Aug 11

Sep 11

Oct 11

Nov 11

Dec 11

Jan 12

Feb 12

Mar 12

Apr 12

May 12

Y-O-Y GROWTH

Managers

107

114

113

110

105

114

108

109

91

105

104

100

100

-7%

Professionals

130

137

138

134

131

134

135

134

125

136

138

134

135

4%

Technicians and associate professionals

151

156

155

158

156

158

159

160

153

165

165

157

158

5%

Clerical support workers

133

144

130

142

139

142

134

142

129

143

148

137

141

6%

Service and sales workers

78

86

86

80

78

82

82

82

69

75

74

75

76

-3%

Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers

158

158

169

166

154

175

165

163

153

178

181

170

158

0%

Craft  and related workers

182

202

217

221

225

219

227

218

186

212

219

199

204

12%

Plant and machine operators, and assemblers

77

80

86

83

84

89

87

87

77

86

90

84

87

13%

Elementary occupations

71

82

82

71

64

64

60

66

62

64

61

56

54

-24%

By Region

Region

May 11

Jun 11

Jul 11

Aug 11

Sep 11

Oct 11

Nov 11

Dec 11

Jan 12

Feb 12

Mar 12

Apr 12

May 12

Y-O-Y GROWTH

East Anglia

136

140

139

145

136

142

144

138

130

142

145

136

135

-1%

London

129

141

144

139

137

146

145

140

122

141

136

131

133

3%

Midlands

144

156

159

155

151

158

153

154

149

165

169

161

165

15%

North England

165

172

176

169

169

173

167

169

151

175

181

172

172

4%

Northern Ireland

120

122

118

116

102

111

123

126

115

130

128

113

119

-1%

Scotland

117

120

118

118

116

111

113

115

102

112

115

107

113

-3%

South East

117

125

123

121

121

123

126

121

111

122

122

121

123

5%

South West

261

278

280

275

267

273

268

264

234

271

285

263

259

-1%

Wales

236

241

239

226

216

228

214

234

203

216

217

210

201

-15%

Monster Employment Index data for June 2012 will be released on July 10, 2012.

About The Monster Employment Index Europe

The Monster Employment Index Europe provides monthly insight into online job posting activity across the European Union. Launched in June 2005 with data from December 2004, the Index is based on a review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards, including Monster. The Monster Employment Index’s underlying data is validated for accuracy by Research America, Inc. – an independent, third-party auditing firm – to ensure that measured national online job recruitment activity is within a margin of error of +/- 1.05%.

The Index monitors online job opportunities across all European Union member countries.

The monthly reports for Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Europe are available at: http://about-monster.com/employment/index/17.