Online Job Demand Continues to Grow Across Europe

Production, Manufacturing, Maintenance and Repair; and Telecommunications See Strongest Increases During July

The Monster Employment Index Europe grew three points in July, registering a sixth consecutive month of growth. Western Europe saw a positive overall growth trend as a result of strong demand in France and Germany. There was also a rise in online job opportunities in the Netherlands, while there were falls in Sweden and the UK. The Index has increased by 23 points, or 18% year-on-year.

We've now seen a full six months of growth across Europe, with the Index displaying a sharp upward trend between January and May and then slightly slower growth in the run-up to the summer, said Alan Townsend, COO Monster UK & Ireland. Western European countries contributed greatly to the growth, with large economies including Germany, France and showing positive trends, added Townsend.

The production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair sector saw a strong increase in online hiring for the second consecutive month in July, with both France and Germany showing significantly more opportunities across the sector. Telecommunications also saw growth in online hiring, following a fall in June, with France showing strong in opportunities. One major sector showing a decrease was banking, finance and insurance, which saw a second consecutive month of decline in demand in July. This came as a result of a fifth consecutive month of fewer online job opportunities across in France, as well as lower demand in the UK. The sector has now shown a 10-point fall overall across Europe since July last year.

Despite reports that overall growth in the production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair sector is declining, the Index shows that there is still very strong demand for workers across the industry, commented Townsend. There was an 11 percent rise on online opportunities in July, while in the last six months; demand in the sector is up by 75 percent.

Online recruiting in the Netherlands also rose significantly in July, with the construction and extraction; and production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair sectors showing the strongest rates of growth. There was also continued growth in the transport, post and logistics; and HR sectors. Meanwhile, the UK and Sweden showed declining demand in July.

A five-point decline in online demand in the UK came about due to significantly fewer opportunities in the banking, finance and insurance; and legal sectors. Regionally, dips in demand were reported in North England, London and the South East, whilst the South West saw substantial growth. In Sweden, online worker demand declined by 13 points, following five consecutive months of growth. This was caused by a fall-off in opportunities for workers in the sales industry. Despite this, the Swedish Index was up 50 percent since last July.

Monster Employment Index Europe data for August will be released on September 11, 2007.

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