Monster Holiday Hiring Data Offers Glimmer of Hope for Millions of Unemployed Workers; 51 Percent of Job Seekers Surveyed Plan to Pursue Coveted Retail Jobs This Season

82 Percent of College Students Will Look for a Holiday Job During the School Break, According to MonsterTRAK

MAYNARD, Mass., Nov 18, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- With the holiday season just around the corner, retailers nationwide are preparing for the increased crowds of shoppers - and seasonal job seekers. Whether looking for extra cash or trying to land a new job, job seekers will have to compete for available retail opportunities this holiday season. According to data released today by Monster(R), the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), 51 percent of Monster users are looking for retail job opportunities over the holidays, while 40 percent of employers will be seeking seasonal help.

Where are the Retail Jobs?

Retail job postings nationwide on Monster have increased by 12 percent across the nation over the past month (September-October 2003), supporting the National Retail Federation's prediction that retailers will increase sales personnel by 3.2 percent this season. California accounts for 15.5 percent of retail jobs on Monster, followed by Texas (7.7 percent), New York (7.3 percent), Illinois, (5.9 percent), Ohio (6.3 percent), and Florida (5.5 percent). Among the major metropolitan areas, Los Angeles accounts for 7.9 percent of all retail opportunities, followed by New York City (7.6 percent), Chicago (5.4 percent), and Philadelphia (4.1 percent).

College Students Are Eager, Yet Realistic, About Retail Holiday Jobs

The millions of college students heading home for the holidays appear to be eager to work during their break. MonsterTRAK, a leading career resource for college students and alumni and a product of Monster, reports that 82 percent of college students are looking for a holiday job during the school break, yet 84 percent of them are concerned about finding this part-time job.

"This will likely be one of the most competitive holiday retail job markets in recent years, considering that 8.8 million people are unemployed and many are actively seeking opportunities," said Jeff Taylor, founder and chief monster. "Job seekers shouldn't get discouraged if they're unable to land a retail position, and should keep an open mind about other seasonal opportunities. Employers in many other industries will also be seeking holiday help, including catering/food service, warehouse and shipping, and customer service."

The Monster Meter is an ongoing series of online polls that gauge users' opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy, and the workplace.

The Monster Meter asked Job Seekers:

Are you looking for a seasonal job over the holidays? (a)

  • 51% said: "Yes."
  • 49% said: "No."

The Monster Meter Asked Employers:

Do you plan to hire any workers for this holiday season? (b)

  • 60% said: "No."
  • 40% said: "Yes."

MonsterTRAK Asked College Students:

Do you plan on getting a job over the holiday break? (c)

  • 82% said: "Yes."
  • 18% said: "No."

Are you concerned about finding a job over the holiday break? (d)

  • 84% said: "Yes."
  • 16% said: "No."

(a) The results of this Monster Meter are based on 34,471 votes cast by Monster users from November 3rd to November 10th, 2003 on the Monster homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. Anyone interested in voting in Monster's current online poll may do so by logging onto Monster at www.monster.com. Users may review the results of past polls by going to http://content.monster.com/polls/. These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate.

(b) The results of this Monster Meter are based on 565 votes cast by Monster users from October 27th to November 10th, 2003 on the Monster employer login page. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.

(c) The results of this Monster Meter are based on 464 votes cast by MonsterTRAK users from October 27th to November 3rd, 2003 on the MonsterTRAK homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.

(d) The results of this Monster Meter are based on 781 votes cast by MonsterTRAK users from November 3rd to November 10th, 2003 on the MonsterTRAK homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.

For additional information on retail statistics, including top locations and specific information for your state, please contact Kevin Mullins, 978-461-8751.

About Monster

Monster, headquartered in Maynard, Mass., is the leading global careers website, recording over 53.4 million visits during the month of September 2003, according to independent research conducted by I/PRO. Monster connects the most progressive companies with the most qualified career-minded individuals, offering innovative technology and superior services that give them more control over the recruiting process. The Monster global network consists of local content and language sites in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, France, Scotland, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Luxembourg, India, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, and Finland. Monster is the official online career management services sponsor of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team. More information about Monster is available at http://www.monster.com/or by calling 1-800-MONSTER.

About Monster Worldwide

Founded in 1967, Monster Worldwide, Inc. is the parent company of Monster (R), the leading global online careers property. The company also owns TMP Worldwide, the world's largest Yellow Pages advertising agency and one of the world's largest Recruitment Advertising agency networks. TMP Worldwide is also a provider of direct marketing services. Headquartered in New York with approximately 4,300 employees in 19 countries, Monster Worldwide's clients include more than 90 of the FORTUNE 100 and approximately 490 of the FORTUNE 500 companies. Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST - News) is a member of the S&P 500 Index. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.monsterworldwide.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 the company's strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain factors, including factors outside of our 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 we operate, risks associated with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks discussed in our Form 10-K and our other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.

SOURCE: Monster

Monster
Kevin Mullins, 978-461-8751
kevin.mullins@monster.com
or
Weber Shandwick Worldwide
Jackie Pigliucci, 617-520-7066
jpigliucci@webershandwick.com