Online Recruitment Activity in the UK Rises in December

— Online Job Availability in Northern Ireland Sees Marked Increase during Final Month of 2007 —

Online recruitment activity in the UK rose sharply in December, as the Monster Employment Index added five points, continuing a two-month upward growth trend. The Monster Employment Index UK is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across Europe, including Monster.co.uk.

The Index increased to a level of 174 points last month, partly due to greater online job availability in the marketing, PR and media; and banking, finance, insurance sectors – the latter bouncing back from a significant dip in November. The Index also showed notably higher demand for elementary occupations; and technicians and associate professionals. Overall, the Index is up 45 points, or 35 percent, compared to December 2006.

“It is encouraging to see that online job opportunities expanded strongly in the fourth quarter of 2007 despite early signs of a slowing global economy,” said Andrea Bertone, Regional Director, Monster Worldwide Europe. “The Index’s stepwise growth since October suggests that the majority of UK industries are still recruiting, although a tight labour market is also a key driver of online recruitment. The UK’s low unemployment rate indicates that competition is high for top talent and employers are looking online to source the best candidates.”

Online Demand in Marketing, PR and Media Sector Registers Strong Monthly Gain in December

A third consecutive increase in online job availability in the marketing, PR and media sector was a key factor in the Index’s expansion in December. Opportunities for professionals; and legislators, senior officials and managers jumped the most. Regionally, East Anglia and London experienced the strongest increases. Year-on-year growth for the sector stands at 81 points – a record 58 percent annual growth rate.

Banking, finance, insurance bounced back from a marked decline in November, largely due to increased opportunities for professionals; and technicians and associate professionals. The Index showed an upturn in hiring across all regions last month, with Northern Ireland reporting the highest growth rate. Year-on-year growth is now 21 points, or 13 percent.

“Recruiting increased in the majority of industries in the UK in December as employers began preparing for the year ahead, mirroring similar growth in December 2006. However, the Confederation of British Industry has warned that the twin shocks of the credit crunch and high commodity prices will likely slow the UK economy and that the UK job market will undergo a gradual softening next year,” added Bertone.

In contrast, online recruitment for healthcare, social work dipped significantly as it did in December 2006, suggesting a seasonal downturn in job availability. Service workers and shop and market sales workers saw the strongest decline. Demand in the sector decreased in all regions except East Anglia and Wales.