Companies Step-Up Online Recruiting as Demand Strengthens

June 8, 2010 – 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, rose by one point in May as a number of industries continued to step-up their online recruitment efforts. The annual growth rate during May was 14 percent (16 points), the highest year-over-year growth rate since April 2007, indicating the demand for labor is strengthening. “The sustained expansion of job opportunities, especially in some large industries is encouraging,” said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer. “While some of this increase can be attributed to seasonality, the notable improvement in annual growth rate is the highest since April 2007 and reflects a better job market heading into the summer months compared to this time last year.” Online demand rose in 12 and remained flat in four of the 20 industries monitored by the Index. Healthcare and social assistance saw the strongest increase in online job availability, edging to its highest level since the mid-2008 period. Arts, entertainment and recreation also edged up in May, continuing its six-month gradual expansion in online job opportunities. In contrast, real estate; accommodation and food services; management and agriculture edged down in May. Management, architecture, computer and mathematical also dropped during the month.