Monster Employment Index UK Edges Higher in November Due to Seasonal Demand for Workers

Monster Employment Index UK Edges Higher in November Due to Seasonal Demand for Workers

─ Online Job Availability for Hospitality and Tourism Jobs Jumps, as Demand for Service Workers and Shop and Market Sales Workers Peaks ─

─Wales Continues To Show Strong Growth in Online Recruitment Activity ─

LONDON, December 12, 2006 – Online job recruitment activity and related employment opportunities across the United Kingdom edged higher in November, as the Monster Employment Index UK added one point, rising to a level of 128. This increase was driven by heightened demand for service workers and shop and market sales workers and also by continued growth in job offers in Wales. Year-on-year growth of the Index now stands at twenty points or 20 percent.

All regions except the Midlands and North of England saw growth in online recruiting last month with increases mainly across hospitality and tourism and banking, finance and insurance. Decreases were highest across transport, post and logistics.

Monster Employment Index UK results over the past 14 months are as follows:

“The Monster Employment Index saw a modest increase of one point last month as many employers sought additional staff for the year-end holidays,” said Alan Townsend, COO, Monster UK and Ireland. “In addition, the UK Labour Market Survey published in November announced that four successive quarters of 0.7 per cent GDP growth have been insufficient to generate enough jobs to cater for the expanding labour force which has been driven by an increase in immigrant workers. This simultaneous increase in employment and unemployment is reflected in the marginal growth of the Index.”
Majority of UK Industry Sectors Register Solid-to-slight Gains During November

Most UK sectors exhibited increases in online job offers during November. Opportunities for workers within the hospitality and tourism category increased by a notable 17 points, driven by a heightened seasonal demand for workers across all categories tracked. Nearly all regions except London saw an increase in job offerings for hospitality and tourism positions, with the Midlands observing particularly strong demand. This sector is now at its highest level for 2006.

Online job postings for healthcare, social work and personal care also surged last month, mainly due to greater demand for professionals, which extended a three-month upward trend. Demand for technicians and associate professionals in the category dipped. Job offerings increased across all regions with the exception of Wales which saw a decline for the second consecutive month. Year-on-year growth for the category now stands at 43 points.

Telecommunications also saw a healthy 16-point rise in online job offers, driven mainly by higher demand for technicians and associate professionals. There were also a greater number of opportunities for professionals, ending a downward trend. Hiring activity within telecommunications increased across all regions, with the highest growth reported in the North of England. Year-on-year growth for the category now stands at 22 points.

Online job demand decreased significantly in the public sector, defense and community category, which saw little to no movement over the previous four months. The greatest decline was observed in East Anglia for the second consecutive month. The Index dropped ten points for this sector in November with a decline across all regions.

“Online recruitment in the hospitality and tourism sector seems to reflect a re-stabilisation of the sector following the terrorist threats and travel restrictions enforced by airlines during the summer. We have seen heightened demand for workers in this sector across the country fuelled by the rise in the number of Eastern European immigrant workers who, according to the government have taken up 7,000 jobs in the North West alone since they joined the EU,” commented Alan Townsend.

Eight of Nine Occupational Categories Rise in November
Eight of the nine occupational categories tracked, registered moderate gains in online job availability, with demand for service, shop and market sales workers surging 15 points and extending a two-month upward trend. Job demand increased in nearly all industrial sectors except transport, post and logistics, which dipped for the first time following four months of growth. The highest regional increase for this category was seen in the South East and South West.

Significantly higher demand for craft and related workers propelled the category up 35 points last month, snapping a two-month downward trend. In contrast, opportunities for construction and extraction declined for the fourth consecutive month. The highest increase in demand was observed in London and the greatest number of vacancies was seen in Wales. Year-on-year growth for the craft and related workers category now stands at 46 points.

Opportunities for legislators, senior officials and managers declined sharply in November after a significant increase in October. The drop was mainly due to fewer offers within the accounting, audit and taxes category, which fell for the fourth consecutive month. However, demand for public sector, defense and community positions rose for the second consecutive month.

“UK retail sales rose more than projected in October as discounts and cheaper petrol encouraged consumers to shop online and visit department stores. The Index figures for this category reflect the Bank of England’s mid-November prediction that consumer spending will help the economy grow close to the strongest annual pace in two years,” Townsend noted.

Six of Eight UK Regions Show Growth in Online Recruitment Activity

Six of the eight UK regions tracked, registered growth in online recruitment activity in November. Wales gained nine points amid higher demand for workers in the professional and technician and associate professional categories. This offset a decline in recruitment of skilled agricultural and fishery workers and craft and related workers. Industries showing an increase in recruitment activity last month include transport, post and logistics for the second consecutive month and banking, finance and insurance for the third consecutive month. In contrast, demand for construction and extraction in Wales fell for the third consecutive month. Year-on-year growth for Wales now stands at 54 points.

Online job opportunities in the South West also rose sharply for white- collar workers. Occupations that registered gains include healthcare, social work, personal care; and banking, finance, and insurance. At the same time, skilled agriculture and fishery workers and plant and machine operators and assemblers saw fewer offers. Online recruitment activity for marketing, PR, and media also dipped for the third consecutive month in the South West. Year-on-year growth in online job availability across the South West region now stands at 40 points.

The Midlands registered the sharpest monthly decline in online job demand last month. November saw the greatest decrease in demand for legislators, senior officials and managers and also a decline for technicians and associate professionals; plant and machine operators and assemblers; and arts, entertainment, sport and leisure workers. However this was offset by increased recruitment activity for service workers and shop and market sales workers. Year-on-year growth for the Midlands is 28 points.

“Recruitment activity across the UK remains fairly steady with slight-to-moderate declines across the Midlands and North of England and increases across all other regions. For the second consecutive month, Wales and the South West registered the strongest gains in online job demand. Overall, this creates a positive base for the growth in the retail sector that is predicted over the next couple of months,” concluded Townsend.

Monster Employment Index Europe Dips in November with Lower Demand Seen for Blue-Collar Workers

The Monster Employment Index Europe dipped slightly in November as a result of moderately lower online job demand in France and Germany. The Index edged down one point to a level of 125, despite continued growth in online recruitment activity in the Netherlands, Sweden and UK. Over the past five months, the Index has continued to fluctuate in the range of 124-126 points. Year-on-year growth is 14 points.

During November, declines in online recruitment activity were registered in the construction and extraction; and production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair sectors. The greatest drop was reported in the seasonally-influenced agriculture, fishing and forestry sector. In contrast, strong gains in job availability were measured in the telecommunication and IT sectors.

The Index also showed a decline in demand across numerous blue-collar occupations last month. The only blue-collar category that registered an increase was plant and machine operators and assemblers. Within white-collar occupational groups, the Index measured higher demand for professionals and technicians and associate professionals, while opportunities for legislators, senior officials and managers declined.

Monster Employment Index Europe results for the past 14 months are as follows:

About The Monster Employment Index UK
The Monster Employment Index UK provides a broad, comprehensive monthly analysis of online job demand in the UK and is compiled by Monster Worldwide, the parent company of the leading global online careers and recruitment resource, Monster®. The Index is independently audited by ARC Research, a U.S.-based market research company, to ensure the accuracy of the data within a margin of error of +/- 1.05%. The U.S. version of the Monster Employment Index was first introduced in April 2004.

Additional information on the Monster Employment Index United Kingdom is available online at http://euIndex.monsterworldwide.com. Visitors can subscribe to receive the monthly UK Index report as well as the broader Monster Employment Index Europe report in English, French, German or Swedish. Monster Employment Index UK data for December will be released on January 12, 2006.

About Monster UK
Monster UK is the local content website for Monster, the leading global online careers and recruitment resource. With over 2.2 million visits per month, Monster UK works for everyone by connecting quality job seekers at all levels with leading employers across all industries. The Monster global network consists of local sites in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria, as well as in the United States, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong and India. For more information see www.monster.co.uk or call +44 207 406 5050

About Monster Worldwide
Monster Worldwide, Inc. is the parent company of Monster®, the leading global online careers property. Headquartered in New York with approximately 4,600 employees in 35 countries, Monster Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST) is a member of the S&P 500 Index and NASDAQ-100. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.monsterworldwide.com.

About Monster
Monster® is the leading global online careers and recruitment resource. A division of Monster Worldwide, Monster works for everyone by connecting quality job seekers at all levels with leading employers across all industries. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Maynard, Mass., Monster has 34 local language and content sites in 32 countries worldwide. More information is available at www.monster.com or by calling 1-800-MONSTER. To learn more about Monster’s industry-leading employer products and services, please visit http://info.monster.com.

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 Commissio803n, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.