Online Labor Demand Down 217,000 in July

August 5, 2011 – Online advertised vacancies were down 217,000 in July to 4,154,500, according to according to The Conference Board’s Help Wanted OnLine Data Series (HWOL). The July drop follows a decline of 100,000 in June after a basically flat period in April and May. The supply/demand rate stands at 3.22, indicating there were just over three unemployed for every online advertised vacancy in June, the latest monthly data available for unemployment. “The national trend in labor demand, while positive in the first quarter of 2011, turned negative in the second quarter. And with the July loss, monthly labor demand is now 54,000 below the January level,” said June Shelp, vice president at The Conference Board. Among the largest states, the pattern in job demand now varies from positive in North Carolina, Minnesota, Ohio, and Washington to steady in Texas, Illinois, and Michigan and down in California and New York. Occupations also present a mixed picture with the demand for workers in food services (typically lower-wage occupations) up since January. However, there are still seven unemployed workers for every advertised vacancy in this profession. In contrast, the demand for healthcare professionals (generally a high-wage occupation) is down since January, but there are two advertised vacancies available for every jobseeker.