Twelve of 28 US Metro Markets Rise to Record Highs in November

- Eleven Other Markets Remain Flat, but Still at Highest Levels, Demonstrating Continued Strength in Local Online Recruitment Activity

- Broad Demand for Military, Protective Service, Engineering, IT, Legal, and Production Workers Drives Online Hiring Growth in November

- Houston Registers Largest Rate of Increase, Reflecting Intensified Reconstruction Efforts; Minneapolis Extends Six-Month Upward Growth Trend

Online recruitment activity and related employment opportunities increased in 12 of the top 28 U.S. metropolitan areas in November, according to the latest findings of the Monster Local Employment Index. Houston and Phoenix saw the greatest rate of increase in online hiring activity during the month, while Minneapolis continued a six-month upward growth trend in online job demand. Eleven other markets remained unchanged from their record highs in October, demonstrating ample online job availability, driven by continued strong demand for workers in the military, protective service, engineering, IT, legal, and manufacturing areas.

Online job availability for military-related occupations rose in 24 local markets during November, indicating higher demand for workers in the aerospace and defense industries, and stepped up online recruitment activity by the U.S. Armed Forces, as the Department of Defense now aims to sign up 180,000 new recruits a year. Online opportunities for protective service workers also increased, reflecting higher demand for workers in homeland security functions (airports, ports, and nuclear power plants), greater investments in IT/network security and seasonal hiring of additional security personnel around holiday events.

Eighteen of 28 markets registered significantly higher online recruitment activity in the manufacturing sector during the month, reflecting further improved conditions in the sector overall despite continued weakness in the automotive industry. Demand for production workers soared in a number of metro areas, rising five points or more in Houston, Baltimore, Dallas, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Sacramento. Online opportunities for engineering and IT professionals also continued an upward growth trend across most markets, indicating a steadily improving hiring outlook for workers with strong technical skills, and a continued up-tick in investment within the aerospace/defense and IT/computing sectors.

Of the 28 markets, Houston and Phoenix registered the sharpest increases in online job demand in November, each rising three points, while Baltimore, Los Angeles and Orlando added two points during the month. Seven markets edged up one point, including Minneapolis, which extended a six-month growth trend, and is now the only market that has grown every month since the inception of the Index. Eleven markets remained unchanged during the month, but held steady at high levels of online hiring activity, while five markets saw slight to moderate declines. Atlanta, Boston, Portland and Washington, D.C. each dipped one point, while Miami fell two points.

The November findings of the Monster Local Employment Index show continued strength in online recruitment activity across the majority of U.S. major metro markets, with encouraging demand for workers in industries, such as IT and manufacturing, that are key barometers for the health of the U.S. economy, said Steve Pogorzelski, Group President, International at Monster Worldwide. Compared to the sharp gains registered in October, the flatness in eleven markets points to what is likely a relatively mild end-of-year slowdown, as employers wrapped-up their temporary, holiday-related hiring. Nevertheless, most markets remained at their highest levels to date. Encouraging increases in Houston and Dallas suggest a strengthening Texas labor market as reconstruction efforts along the Gulf Coast intensify.

During November, online job demand rose sharply in the Houston metro area, reflecting higher demand for workers involved in the post-hurricane relief and reconstruction efforts, the area’s booming energy sector and improvements in the southeastern Texas economy. Phoenix remained the fastest-growing metro area, having jumped 12 points over the past six months on high demand for sales; office and administration; IT and engineering occupations. Online job availability in Baltimore, Los Angeles and Orlando all showed solid increases, suggesting strengthened demand for workers, while Minneapolis edged higher for the sixth consecutive month driven by a greater number of online opportunities in management, construction and military occupations. Miami saw the sharpest decline during the month, dipping two points possibly due to the adverse impacts of the recent hurricane season.