Monster Employment Index Edges Down in January

January 2010 Index Highlights: Index slips one point lower in January, reflecting continued moderation in U.S. online recruitment activity to start the year

Year-on-year, the Index is now down 3 percent, the most marginal rate of decline since the beginning of the recession in 2008

Offerings in education; arts, entertainment and recreation rise, while construction and wholesale trade contract from last month

Online job demand falls by varying degrees in all of the 28 major metro markets monitored by the Index

NEW YORK, Feb 04, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Monster Employment Index edged down one point in January, while the annual rate of decline moderated to an almost-flat 3 percent, as the Index appears close to emerging from a period of negative annual growth that spans back to January 2008.

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).

During January, online job availability rose in 8 of the Index's 20 industry sectors and in 7 of the 23 occupational categories monitored. Index results for the past 13 months are as follows:

Jan.

10

 Dec.

09

 Nov.

09

 Oct.

09

 Sep.

09

Aug.

09

Jul.

09

 Jun.

09

 May.

09

 Apr.

09

 Mar.

09

 Feb.

09

 Jan.

09
114 115 119 120 119 121 114 117 118 120 118 122 118

"The Monster Employment Index was nearly on par with its year-ago level in January, as last year's declining trends began to shift towards stabilization in a number of industries," said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. "With the economy returning to a stage of positive growth, we've seen subtle signs of firming in hiring trends, even for sectors like finance in recent months."

Public Administration Registers Large Monthly Gain in Online Job Demand in January; Construction and Wholesale Trade Edge Down

Outside of the small agriculture and utilities sectors, Public administration led all industries with an 11-point gain in January.

Arts, entertainment, and recreation notched a rare increase in January, as demand edged up from late-2009 lows. The educational services industry also rose in January, starting the new year with relatively heated demand for additional workers. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction edged up on the month amidst improved labor market conditions in the primary sector.

In contrast, construction and wholesale trade continued to slide from the recent high seen in the November Index, contrasting with the industry's typical seasonal trend. Online recruitment activity also dipped in the accommodation and food services; management of companies and enterprises; and administrative and support industries in January.

Utilities; educational services; real estate; and transportation show greater online job availability compared to a year ago, while arts, entertainment, and recreation continues to decline on an annual basis in January.

Personal Care Occupations See Increase in Online Job Availability in January; Community and Social Services; Food Preparation and Serving Fall

In January, online hiring demand rose in seven and remained flat in five of the 23 occupational categories monitored by the Index. Occupations related to personal care and service; and farming, fishing and forestry registered the strongest monthly rises in online job availability in January.

Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media also edged upward, coinciding with the somewhat positive trends in online demand for the arts industry as a whole. The category however experienced a mild decline on a year-over-year basis. Education, training and library also experienced a strong surge in the January Index and is now up 19 percent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, community and social services; and food preparation and serving occupations edge down by unseasonably sharp degrees in the January Index.

Education, training and library led all occupational categories in terms of year-over-year growth with a 19 percent annual rise in opportunities. Farming, fishing and forestry; transportation; and sales and related occupations also reported more online job offerings than a year ago.

Online Job Availability Rises in One U.S. Census Bureau Region in January

Online job demand rose in the East South Central region in January. New England was unchanged from December's level, in contrast to the typical seasonal decline in recruitment seen in this region. South Atlantic noted a 2 point decline, but is likewise in contrast to the deep seasonal declines the region usually exhibits in the January month. Mountain showed the mildest net decrease in online demand over the past 3 months. On the year, East South Central is the only region to improve.

Among the states and the District, nearly half registered increased or steady online job opportunities in January led by New Hampshire, while Louisiana experienced the steepest decline. New York, the largest state by population, exhibited positive gains from a year-ago in the Index.

All of the Top 28 Major U.S. Metro Markets Register Decreases in January

During January, online recruitment activity slowed in all major metropolitan markets. Houston and Tampa registered the most marginal reductions, while Washington D. C. saw the steepest decline in January.

Year-over-year, 25 of the 28 markets continued to report fall. Portland and Pittsburgh noted positive growth while Indianapolis remained flat.

To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for January 2010, and to access current individual data charts for each of the 28 metro markets tracked, please visit http://http://about-monster.com/employment-index. Data for the month of February 2009 will be released on March 4, 2010.

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 http://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

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