Monster Employment Index Dips Slightly in September

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September 2009 Index Highlights:

• Index edges down two points in September indicating a modest decline in U.S. online recruitment activity
• Bucking the overall trend, hiring in mining and construction rises, while the manufacturing sector holds steady amid stabilizing demand for blue-collar occupations
• Opportunities in healthcare continue to moderate
• Boston sees the highest rise among metro markets

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2009-- The Monster Employment Index edged downward in September after a significant rise in late summer recruitment activity during August. Over the year, the Index fell 25 percent largely unchanged from last month’s pace.

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®.

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

“Despite recent improvements in economic sentiment, U.S. employers continue to exhibit caution when it comes to hiring,” said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. “On the upside, demand for workers is firming in the blue-collar segment, with welcome signs of revived activity in construction and manufacturing.”

Mining and Construction Rise, While Manufacturing Holds Steady in September

Online labor demand in the mining, quarrying and oil/gas extraction industry increased in September, rising for the third consecutive month. Recent rises in energy and commodity prices may have contributed to accelerated hiring in the sector. Meanwhile, construction continued its steady rise, with a three-point increase in September, mirroring reports that the housing market has reached a bottom.

Online demand in the manufacturing and administrative/support and waste management industries remained stable in September, while arts, entertainment, and recreation registered the sharpest percentage decline on the month among industries, followed by public administration.

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting is the only industry category showing greater online job availability compared to a year ago.

Opportunities for Blue-Collar Occupations Rise; Healthcare Eases in September

Online demand for blue-collar occupations rose in September with installation, repair and maintenance leading all categories. Construction and extraction and production also recorded expanded opportunities. Personal care and service was the only other category to edge upward in September though demand in this occupational category remains near historic lows with a year-over-year decline of 57 percent. Demand remained stable for most white-collar occupations with business and financial operations exhibiting a solid three-month trend.

In contrast, opportunities for healthcare workers were broadly reduced in September as both healthcare support and healthcare practitioners and technical registered lower demand than a month ago. Demand for military-specific occupations also declined, possibly due to reduced hiring by public and private defense employers. Declines were also noted for management and sales occupations, following upticks last month.

On an annual basis, farming, fishing and forestry remains the only occupational category to exhibit greater demand than a year ago.

Online Job Availability Decreases in Eight of Nine U.S. Census Bureau Regions in September

Online job demand declined in all U.S. Census Bureau regions except East North Central in September. Hiring conditions were relatively stable in the Great Lakes states of Michigan and Wisconsin. In contrast, West South Central declined, erasing the upward movement from the previous month.

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

Eight of the Top 28 Major U.S. Metro Markets Register Increases in September

During September, online recruitment activity increased in eight of the 28 major metro markets monitored by the Index. Boston saw the highest increase due to an upsurge in demand for workers in life, physical, and social sciences, legal and healthcare occupations. Cleveland saw a three-point rise that contributed to the rise in online demand for the East North Central region as a whole, mostly due to increased demand for white-collar categories like business/financial operations and IT. Both Portland and Kansas City declined but experienced expansion in lower-wage occupations like food preparation/serving and production.

To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for September 2009, and to access current individual data charts for each of the 28 metro markets tracked, please visit http://about-monster.com/employment-index [2]. Data for the month of October 2009 will be released on November 5, 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 [3]), 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 [4]. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at http://about-monster.com/ [5].

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.

Monster Worldwide
Deepika Murty, 978-461-8765
Deepika.Murty@monster.com [6]
or
Media Inquiries:
Steve Sylven, 978-461-8503
Steve.Sylven@monster.com [7]