Monster Employment Index Dips Slightly in July, Reflecting Seasonal Slowdown in U.S. Online Job Demand

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2005--Monster Worldwide, Inc.:

July 2005 Index Highlights:

  • Index dips two points to 134 in July, with the majority of industries and occupations showing slight declines in online job availability
  • At 134, the Index remains significantly higher than its July 2004 level
  • Manufacturing continues three-month downward trend
  • Demand for military occupations continues to surge, as the military aggressively expands its recruiting efforts
  • Strong demand in the construction industry reflects continued strength in the housing market

The Monster Employment Index dipped slightly in July, as the majority of industries and occupations tracked by the Index showed slight declines in online job availability during the month. The Index fell two points in July, from 136 in June 2005 to 134 in July 2005, ending a six-month growth trend for the year, but maintaining a sharp increase of 27 points over its July 2004 level of 107.

The Monster Employment Index's overall results for the past 13 months are as follows:

Jul. Jun. May Apr. Mar. Feb. Jan. Dec. Nov. Oct. Sept. Aug. Jul. 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 04 04 04 04 04 04 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----- ---- ---- 134 136 134 131 130 122 120 113 117 114 114 112 107 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----- ---- ----

"Given the Index's strong upward growth trend over the past six months, coupled with the fact that we measured a two-point decline at this same juncture last year, the Monster Employment Index's easing back in July is not surprising at all," said Steve Pogorzelski, president of Monster, North America. "On the contrary, the consistency between the Index's July 2005 and July 2004 findings suggests that seasonality is a likely explanation for this drop in overall demand for workers over the past month. Despite this decline, however, the Index remains significantly higher than its July 2004 level, demonstrating a marked increase in online recruitment activity compared to last year."

Construction and Utilities Among the Few Industries Showing Greater Online Job Demand

Overall, 12 of 20 industries tracked by the Index experienced declines of varying degrees in online job demand during the month of July, with manufacturing registering a three-month downward trend. Other industries that saw a slight decline in online job availability included finance and insurance; agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting; and administrative support, waste management and remediation services.

Among the five industries that registered increases during the month, construction showed the sharpest acceleration in online job availability, fueled in part by the low cost of financing, which continues to support demand for both single family housing and condominium development. The increase is also attributable to seasonality, as the construction sector normally gains strength across the nation during the summer and fall seasons when weather is amenable in Northern states. Other industries showing increased online job availability in July included:

  • Utilities, which continued a three-month growth trend and registered a particularly large spike in July due to high temperatures. This, in turn, spurred provider activity, as utilities sought to increase capacity and ensure an adequate supply of electricity and water; and
  • Wholesale trade and retail trade, two categories that rose in July and have demonstrated stepwise growth over the past several months, due in part to gearing up for the fall/back-to-school shopping season. Both industry categories also tend to have high turnover rates, creating a consistent need to recruit new hires.

Online Demand for Legal Workers Falls, While Demand for Military Positions Soars

Sixteen of 23 occupational categories experienced declines of varying degrees during July, with online demand for legal occupations falling sharply and dipping for the second consecutive month. Other occupations showing slight declines during the month included: healthcare support; arts, design, entertainment, sports and media; food preparation and serving; building/grounds cleaning and maintenance; and office and administrative support.

Among the occupational categories that experienced gains in July, online demand for military-related occupations saw the greatest month-to-month increase and the highest rate of growth over the past three months among all occupational categories. This is due to the U.S. military's active recruitment efforts to secure additional personnel. Other occupations registering increases during the month of July included:

  • Community & social services, which saw a notable increase in online recruitment activity in July and continued a six-month growth trend, partially due to the increased number of retiring baby-boomers who are choosing to become actively involved in community and social services organizations; and
  • Computer & mathematical, which saw a spike as positions such as data communications analysts, health information technicians and computer software engineers experienced higher demand.

West North Central Region Sees Sharpest Increase in Online Job Availability in July

Online job demand for workers increased in just one of the nine U.S. Census Bureau regions in July, although all regions remained at very high levels when compared year-over-year. The West North Central region saw the only increase during the month, while the Mid-Atlantic region saw the sharpest decline. Only fifteen U.S. states, along with the District of Columbia, registered increases in July, with Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota and Maine among those seeing the sharpest gains. Twenty-seven states saw declines during the month, while eight states remained flat from June.

To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for July 2005, including all charts and tables, please visit http://eIndex.monsterworldwide.com. Data for the month of August 2005 will be released on September 1, 2005.

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. (NASDAQ: MNST), the parent company of the leading global online careers and recruitment resource, Monster(R). Based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from more than 1,500 Web sites, including a variety of corporate career sites, job boards and 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 on a monthly basis by ARC Research, a Cranford, New Jersey-based provider of innovative click and brick market research solutions. The audit validates the accuracy of the online job recruitment activity measured for the last six months within a margin of error of +/- 1.05%. Data for the month of July 2005 will be released on August 4, 2005.

About Monster Worldwide

Founded in 1967, Monster Worldwide, Inc. is the parent company of Monster(R), the leading global online careers and recruitment resource. The company also owns TMP Worldwide, one of the world's largest Recruitment Advertising agency networks. Headquartered in New York with approximately 4,500 employees in 26 countries, Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST) is a member of the S&P 500 Index. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.monsterworldwide.com.

Monster(R) is a leading global online careers and recruitment resource. Monster was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, USA. Monster has 25 local language and content sites in 23 countries worldwide. Monster is known for connecting quality job seekers at all levels with leading employers across all industries and offers employers innovative technology and superior services that give them more control over the recruiting process. More information is available at www.monster.com or by calling 1-800-MONSTER. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading employer products and services, please visit http://recruiter.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, July 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.

CONTACT: Monster Worldwide, Inc.
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SOURCE: Monster Worldwide, Inc.