Online Recruitment Dips in the UK in September, according to the Monster Employment Index

In September 2007 online recruitment dropped in the UK, following a moderate increase in hiring demand during August, as the Monster Employment Index declined by five points. The Index dropped to reach a level of 162 points, partly due to a decline in opportunities for the engineering sector and a sizeable drop in demand for professionals; and technicians and associate professionals. Overall, the Index is up by 37 points, or 30 per cent, compared to last September. The Monster Employment Index UK is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from different websites across Europe, including Monster.co.uk.

ìThe Monster Employment Index has fluctuated so far in 2007 but although online job demand fell in the UK in September, overall the Index has shown strong growth in the last year, said Andrea Bertone, Regional Director, Monster Worldwide Europe. ìIt is not uncommon for online recruitment to fall slightly in September ñ the same trend was seen in 2006.î

Septemberís dip in the Monster Employment Index can partly be explained by a notable decline in the engineering industry, which fell by 12 points following strong growth in July and August. This decrease was caused by a decline in job opportunities for professionals; and technicians and associate professionals. All UK regions saw a decrease in engineering opportunities, with the exception of Northern Ireland.

A decrease in demand in the banking, finance and insurance industry was also a contributor to the Indexís drop in September. Online hiring opportunities in this industry dropped for the third month in a row, falling by nine points. Most regions saw a dip, with London experiencing the most notable drop. Reduced demand for professionals; technicians and associate professionals was responsible for this decline.

ìThe recent subprime mortgage and credit crisis could be partly responsible for the decline in the banking, finance and insurance industry. This global crisis has impacted the UK and it is feasible that its knock-on effect is that businesses within a number of different sectors are hesitant about hiring at present. Organisations are still assessing its effect before making their next steps in business,î added Andrea Bertone, Regional Director, Monster Worldwide Europe.

In line with the significant drops in online hiring in the engineering; and banking, finance and insurance industries, demand for technicians and associate professionals fell sharply in September. Professionals also experienced a dip in demand for the third consecutive month. Hiring of service workers and shop and market sales workers; and craft and related workers both decreased by two Index points.

Although there was less demand for the majority of occupational groups, significant growth was seen in demand for skilled agricultural and fishery workers. Plant and machine operators and assemblers saw an upturn in online recruitment due to an increase in transport, post and logistics; and construction extraction. Demand for legislators, senior officials and managers also increased during September.

All regions across the UK reported a decline in online job opportunities in September, with the exception of Northern Ireland, which bounced back from two successive monthly decreases. Marketing, PR and media; hospitality and tourism; and sales reported the highest growth as the region grew by 22 Index points.

The South West experienced the biggest downturn, falling by 15 points. This was caused by notable decreases in online hiring for the legal; marketing, PR and media; and banking, finance and insurance industries. East Anglia saw the next highest fall, with demand for clerks dropping furthest. Despite growth in hospitality and tourism, Wales dropped seven Index points. The Midlands and North England also reported significant decreases in online hiring.

Monster Employment Index UK data for October will be released on November 13, 2007.