Monster Employment Index Rises in April

The Monster Employment Index rose slightly in April, adding two points, as several industries, occupations, and regions registered increased online job availability. Year-over-year, however, the Index was down 31 percent. The Monster Employment Index is a monthly gauge of U.S. online job demand based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of corporate career Web sites and job boards, including Monster.

During April, online job availability rose in nine of the Indexís 20 industry sectors and 13 of the 23 occupational categories monitored. Index results for the past 13 months are as follows:

ìAprilís rise in online recruitment activity was in line with seasonal expectations and suggests that the pace of slowdown in the U.S. labor market is moderating,î said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide.

Accommodation and Food Services; and Art and Entertainment Industries Show Rise in Online Job Demand

Online demand in the arts, entertainment and recreation industry rose in April, with employers looking to increase staff numbers from sober winter levels. Accommodation and food services also saw a nine-point increase, suggesting stabilization in demand within the broader leisure and hospitality sector. Online job availability in the transportation and warehousing industry also experienced a solid rise in April.

In contrast, online job recruitment activity in mining and extraction declined further, reflecting the impact of the current recession on commodity demand which has tempered business expansion in the sector. The trade industries remained largely flat for the second consecutive month, with wholesale trade experiencing a two-point rise and retail trade declining by one point.

On a year-over-year basis, agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting is the Indexís only positive growth industry category, while public administration, utilities, and healthcare – previous drivers of growth – now exhibit declines.

Online Job Opportunities for Protective Service Occupations See Largest Gain in April

Among occupations, protective service registered the strongest monthly increase in online job availability, while opportunities in education, training and library also expanded. Meanwhile, online offerings for transportation and material moving workers edged higher on the month as well, in line with the upward movement of the overall transportation and warehousing industry. In addition, the Index shows a leveling in demand for workers in business and financial operations.

In contrast, legal; and architecture and engineering occupations experienced declines in April, reflecting sustained overall weakness in the professional, scientific, and technical services industry.

On an annual basis, farming, fishing and forestry; and military specific were the only occupational categories showing greater online job availability compared to a year ago. In contrast, legal and architecture and engineering have seen the steepest declines over the last 12 months.

Online Job Availability Increases in Eight of Nine U.S. Census Bureau Regions in April

Online job demand rose in eight of the nine U.S. Census Bureau regions in April, with West North Central registering the largest increase in the month, mostly due to a rise in hiring activity in North Dakota. East North Central and West South Central also registered rises while Pacific experienced its first month-on-month increase since April 2008.

Mountain was the only region to show a decline in online demand in April, due to a notable fall in online job availability in Nevada.

All nine regions now report lower levels of online job availability compared to a year ago, with the East South Central region showing the smallest annual decline.

Nineteen of the Top 28 Major U.S. Metro Markets Register Gains in April

Orlando registered the largest monthly increase among the major metro markets, largely due to an increase in online demand for blue-collar categories such as transportation and installation, maintenance and repair. Detroit and Portland also edged up, while Houston exhibited the biggest decline in the month.

Year-over-year, all 28 metro markets registered a negative annual growth rate with Pittsburgh exhibiting the most moderate rate of decline.

To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for April 2009, and to access current individual data charts for each of the 28 metro markets tracked, please visit http://corporate.monster.com/Press_Room/MEI.html. Data for the month of May 2009 will be released on June 4, 2009.