Monster Employment Index Annual Growth Rate Up 13% in November

NEW YORK, Dec 02, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- November 2010 Index Highlights:

• Tenth consecutive month of positive annual growth rate - stable at 13 percent in November
• Index edges down two points (1 percent) on monthly basis
• Retail trade registers strong growth in November, suggesting positive outlook for consumer trends during the mid-November to January sales season
• Health care and social assistance records accelerated annual growth, with long-term trends most improved for healthcare support workers
• Management of companies and enterprises; and finance and insurance edge down on annual basis in November possibly indicating continued uncertainty in the banking and related fields

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.com(R).

"The slight month-to-month decline in the Monster Employment Index could be attributed partly to seasonal trends typically witnessed at this time of the year," said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. "The outlook however continues to be one of modest recovery with job availability generally higher over the year across most sectors as we approach 2011."

Industry Year-over-year Trends: 17 of the 20 industries monitored by the Index showed positive annual growth trends.

• Retail trade (up 22 percent) was among the top growth sectors on a yearly basis, due to the robust demand for seasonal workers in advance of the busier holiday sales period
• Health care and social assistance (up 25 percent) resumed year-over-year growth in November, with relatively strong long-term trends for online recruitment activity nationwide
• Finance and insurance (up 4 percent) registered a substantial deceleration in annual growth rate in the Index
• Management of companies and enterprises (down 1 percent) remained slightly below year-ago levels in the Index, reflecting a somewhat tempered market for large management/administration and consulting operations

Occupation Year-over-year Trends:Annual online demand for workers rose in 18 and remained flat in one of the 23 occupational categories in November.

• Healthcare support (up 27 percent) exhibited the fastest annual growth
• Management (up 5 percent) edged up on an annual basis, with job availability for managers trending upward across a wide range of sectors

DMA Year-over-year Trends:All 28 metro markets recorded positive annual growth in November

• Orlando (up 45 percent) registered accelerated annual growth, rising from 38 percent in October, with relatively strong demand for healthcare; and food preparation and serving occupations on an annual basis
• Los Angeles (up 23 percent) held steady on an annual basis, recording growth across all professional occupational categories, led by healthcare practitioners
• Sacramento (up 16 percent), San Diego (up 6 percent), and San Francisco (up 19 percent) exhibited varying degrees of deceleration in annual growth rate from October levels
• Indianapolis (19 percent in November from 28 percent in October) registered the most notable slowdown in annual growth

State Year-over-year Trends:Among the 50 states and the District, 19 registered monthly increases in online job demand.

• Mirroring the general trends among Census divisions, the states with strongest annual growth were away from the coasts
• Montana (-13 percent in November from 5 percent in October) recorded the most notable slowdown

International Trends:

• Monster Employment Index Europe reflects steady improvement in annual growth rate (up 23 percent in October) with strong improvements in manufacturing and transport-related sectors in recent months. Germany and Sweden recorded relatively strong long term recovery with the online demand for jobs trending at notably higher levels compared to last year.
• Monster Employment Index India data reveals trends relatively similar to Europe, (up 22 percent in October) on an annual basis, with relatively strong long term growth trends for several industries and all markets monitored by the Index in India.

To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for November 2010, and to access current individual data charts for each of the 28 metro markets tracked, please visit about-monster.com/employment-index. Data for the month of December 2010 will be released on January 6, 2011.

About the Monster Employment Index

Launched in April 2004 with data collected since October 2003, the Monster Employment Index is a broad and comprehensive monthly analysis of U.S. online job demand conducted by Monster Worldwide, Inc. Based on a real-time 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 presents a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide. All of the data and findings in the Monster Employment Index have been validated for their accuracy through independent, third party auditing conducted periodically by Research America, Inc. The audit validates the accuracy of the online job recruitment activity measured within a margin of error of +/- 1.05%.

About Monster Worldwide

Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster(R), the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to bring people together to advance their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 Index. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at about-monster.com.

Special Note: Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding Monster Worldwide, Inc.'s strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of Monster Worldwide's control, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward- looking statements, including economic and other conditions in the markets in which Monster Worldwide operates, risks associated with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in Monster Worldwide's Form 10-K and other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.

SOURCE: Monster Worldwide, Inc.

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Deepika Murty, 978-461-8765
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