Monster Employment Index Rises Sharply in August

August 2009 Index Highlights:

• Index rises seven points, or 6 percent, the highest monthly rate of increase since August 2005
• Year-over-year decline eases to 24 percent, the most moderate pace of slowdown so far this year
• Retail, administrative and financial industries demonstrate solid growth
• Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media rise among occupations, whereas healthcare, community and personal care and services show softening demand
• New England leads all regions while Portland, OR sees the highest rise on the month amongst the metro markets

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 3, 2009-- The Monster Employment Index rose in August, seeing its highest monthly rate of improvement in four years, as a majority of industries, occupations, and regions registered increased online job availability following the slow summer hiring activity. The Index’s annual rate of decline continued to moderate, indicating some signs of improvement in underlying demand for labor nationwide.

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®.

During August, online job availability rose in 15 of the Index’s 20 industry sectors and 18 of the 23 occupational categories monitored. Index results for the past 13 months are as follows:

“The significant jump in the Monster Employment Index in August offers encouraging signs of improvement in the US economy with the demand for managers and professionals as well as sales and office workers picking up in time for the fall hiring season,” said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. “The Index is now at its highest since February while showing the most moderate yearly rate of contraction since December 2008.”

Arts, Entertainment and Recreation, Retail Trade and Administrative/ Support Industries Register Large Monthly Gains in August

Online labor demand in the arts, entertainment and recreation industry registered a seven-point rise in August, rebounding from July’s historic low. Demand for staff in sales and commerce related industries at large also edged higher with both retail trade and wholesale trade registering increased opportunities. Management of companies and enterprises reported a nine-point jump, reflecting a recent uptick in investor confidence.

Meanwhile, offerings in health care and social assistance declined for the second consecutive month. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting registered the sharpest decline among industries in August but was the only sector to maintain last year’s vacancy levels.

Public administration recorded only slightly lower demand than a year ago.

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media Occupations Register Largest Monthly Increase in Online Demand in August

Online demand for occupations related to arts, design, entertainment, sports and media increased, climbing to a six-month high, reflecting a positive trend in the creative sector as a whole. The Index also showed greater demand for workers in professional services with legal occupations exhibiting a strong recovery from July’s decline. Online job availability for architecture, engineering and IT occupations edged higher as well while business and financial operations saw a 10-point rise. Online job demand for blue collar occupations also rose with transportation and material moving rising to its highest level in the year.

In contrast, opportunities for healthcare workers were broadly reduced in August with both healthcare support and healthcare practitioners and technical registering lower demand than a month ago.

On an annual basis, farming, fishing and forestry remains the only occupational category to exhibit annual growth.

Online Job Availability Increases in All Nine U.S. Census Bureau Regions in August

Online job demand rose in all nine U.S. Census Bureau regions in August. New England reversed a three-month downtrend climbing 10 points due to a notable rise in demand in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. South-Atlantic also reversed a three-month downtrend with West Virginia registering the highest rate of increase in recruitment activity among all states in the US.

Year-over-year, East South Central had the most moderate rate of decline closely followed by the South Atlantic region.

Twenty Six of the Top 28 Major U.S. Metro Markets Register Increases in August

During August, online recruitment activity increased in 26 major metro markets and remained flat in two of the 28 markets monitored by the Index. Portland experienced the strongest monthly gain due to an increase in demand for workers in management, IT, arts/design/entertainment and sales. Opportunities also expanded notably in Boston led by areas such as education/training/library, community/social services and military specific. Baltimore and Orlando were the only two markets to remain flat in August.

To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for August 2009, and to access current individual data charts for each of the 28 metro markets tracked, please visit http://about-monster.com/employment-index. Data for the month of September 2009 will be released on October 1, 2009.

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®, 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 http://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

General Information:
Monster Worldwide
Deepika Murty, 978-461-8765
Deepika.Murty@monster.com
or
Media Inquiries:
Monster Worldwide
Steve Sylven, 978-461-8503
Steve.Sylven@monster.com