Monster Employment Index Rises

January 8, 2012 – The Monster Employment Index (MEI), a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards, has increased eight percent in December, consistent with slow, but steady growth in online recruitment activity. The Index edged down five percent on monthly basis as is typical for year-end recruiting patterns recorded in recent years. Transportation and warehousing continued to be a top growth market in December while public administration recorded the steepest annual decline, dropping 11 percent year-over-year. All metro markets tracked by the Index showed positive annual growth with Cincinnati continuing to exhibit the highest growth in December. “The Index maintained a positive year-on-year growth trend, despite easing from November to December due to the typical slowdown in recruitment activity associated with the end of the calendar year,” said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. “Although indicators of economic activity within the trade and commerce sectors suggest economic growth continued in Q4, 2012 hiring plans in the context of the global economic uncertainty remain cautious.”