The Monster Employment Index UK rose by 12 percent in February, and improved six percent from a year ago, reflecting continued acceleration in its long-term growth trend to suggest a continued firming in underlying labour demand conditions. The overall level of online job availability in February was higher than any point since December 2008.

In addition to the month-on-month growth registered by the IT sector, the production and transportation sectors displayed positive annual improvements, signalling an upswing in demand trends for manufacturing and commerce related workers and thereby lending some evidence that business activity is reviving. Sales and arts also showed positive online recruitment growth trends.

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the European Union, including Monster.co.uk.

Monster Employment Index UK findings for the past 13 months are as follows:

“The February Index findings show that UK online job recruitment activity continues to trend higher, with the annual growth rate hitting six percent,” commented Julian Acquari, Managing Director at Monster UK and Ireland. “However, despite the Index’s emergence from the low points of 2009, the job market remains challenging in this fragile economy.”

Majority of sectors register rise in online recruitment, IT shows best growth

The vast majority of industry sectors registered a rise in online recruitment activity between January and February, with 11 sectors achieving positive annual growth.

The IT sector registered the fastest monthly growth, adding 15 points (19 percent). Year-on-year the sector has gained eight percent, indicating a much improved job market for professionals in the computer field relative to the market at the beginning of 2009.

Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure registered a 14 point (11 percent) increase in the February Index, rising for a fourth consecutive month. Sales also registered an upturn.

In contrast to IT, other highly technical sectors, including research and development; and engineering, have annual declines of 26 percent and 24 percent respectively, making them the poorest trending of all the sectors in the Index.

Healthcare, social work edged down in the February Index, but the decline is somewhat aligned with seasonal patterns for this time of year. Public sector, defence, community logged an unseasonably steep monthly decline, with current online demand slightly below its year-ago level.

Clerical support workers group continues to register upturn

Online job demand strengthened in eight of the nine occupational groups monitored by the Index in February. Professionals saw the largest monthly rise in opportunities, jumping 15 points (15 percent). The annual pace of decline flattened from 14 percent in January to 4 percent in February, but remains weaker than the overall national trend.

Clerical support workers extended an upward trend in the Index, as online demand for back-office workers expanded for a seventh consecutive month. The improvement in job availability was unmatched by any other occupational group.

Growth observed in all regions

All UK regions registered a rise in online job availability between January and February. Northern England displayed the highest rate of increase in February, rising 19 points (15 percent) in February. Year-on-year the region is up nine percent in the Index.

Northern Ireland also continued on a track of expansion, adding 13 points in February, and rising 19 percent above its year-ago level. London and Wales were the top growth regions in the Index year-on-year; the only regions to fall below their February 2009 levels were East Anglia and the South East, indicating that those local climates for job creation are still challenging.

Best performing sectors

Industry sectors showing the greatest rate of increase in online job availability included:

Month-on-month

Year-on-year

Monster Employment Index UK findings across industry sectors for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across occupational categories for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across the regions for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK for March will be released on April 13, 2010.

January 2010 Index Highlights:

• The UK Monster Employment Index fell by nine points (eight percent) in January as the online recruitment activity recorded a seasonal slowdown
• Arts, entertainment, sports and leisure led all sectors in monthly growth, with administrative, organisation also reporting a positive uptrend. Hospitality and tourism registered the largest decline, falling 10 points (seven percent)
• Wales, Scotland and London saw the best improvement on a year-on-year basis, with the south east seeing the greatest decline

Summary Overview

The nine point (eight percent) January decline in the Monster Employment Index is widely attributed to seasonal factors that inform hiring and related online recruitment activity at the start of each year. Comparatively, the overall EU Index fell by seven points (seven percent) in January.

The UK Index matched its January 2009 level, exiting from a state of annual decline that extends back to November 2008. In contrast, the overall EU Index was down by 12 percent year-on-year. The long-term growth in administrative and organisation sector and HR signalled an upswing in demand trends for office support services, lending further evidence that business activity is reviving.

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the European Union, including Monster.co.uk.

Monster Employment Index UK findings for the past 13 months are as follows:

“Despite a seasonal fall during January, the long term annual growth rate of the Index continues to improve,” commented Julian Acquari, Managing Director at Monster UK and Ireland. “There was encouraging growth for business support functions such as administration, organisation and HR, which point to more confidence in taking on workers to plan for growth. Whilst business conditions are likely to remain challenging for some time, it is encouraging to see some stabilization in long-term hiring trends.”

Majority of sectors register seasonal slowdowns; opportunities increase most in the arts, entertainment, sports, leisure sector

Production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair saw a retracement in online hiring activity levels in January, following a steep run-up during the final months of 2009. Still, the sector has the highest year-on-year growth in the Index, due in part to the continued migration toward online advertising/recruiting for traditional blue-collar positions by sector employers.

Technical services including engineering; and research and development are exhibiting some of the weakest annual trends in the Index, with year-on-year declines of 31 percent and 18 percent respectively.

However, despite the overall fall, five of the industry sectors monitored by the Index registered a rise in online activity between December and January, with ten sectors displaying positive annual growth.  Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure led the way in growth, with a six point (five percent) increase in the January Index, reflecting broad expansion in online job availability in the consumer-driven sector. 

Administrative, organisation also recorded monthly growth, with a two point (two percent) rise. Annually, the sector has risen by 20 percent, indicating a much improved job market for office support services relative to the a year ago. The HR sector is showing a similarly strong annual trend in the Index.

Clerical support workers registers upturn

Online job demand strengthened only one occupational group monitored by the Index in January. Clerical support workers saw a rise in opportunities on the month, jumping four points (three percent) as well as achieving the most rapid annual growth, up 43 percent.

The Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers group registered the greatest year-on-year decline, with a drop of 33 points (17 percent). Professionals also saw a steep drop year-on-year, with a 16 point (14 percent) decline.

Seasonal declines observed in all regions

All UK regions registered an easing in online job availability between December and January. Midlands exhibited the mildest rate of slowdown in January, falling by one point (one percent) on the month. The region has seen demand expand nearly every month since last summer.

London also edged down by one point (one percent), while Wales fell by six points (three percent) on the month. Annually, both regions are showing positive growth.

South East and East Anglia saw online recruitment activity recede most from their elevated December levels, dropping nine points (nine percent) and 14 points (13 percent) respectively.

Wales saw the greatest increase over the year, climbing 42 points (23 percent) since January 2009.

Best performing sectors

Industry sectors showing the greatest rate of increase in online job availability included:

Month-on-month

Year-on-year

Monster Employment Index UK findings across industry sectors for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across occupational categories for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across the regions for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK for February will be released on March 9, 2010.

”The Year Ahead” conference will take place in Central London next Thursday and is set to be an exciting and hugely successful day. Further details can be found at www.enhancemedia.co.uk/conference/2010

We have an outstanding line-up of speakers including Google, Microsoft Bing and Monster discussing the key issues faced by all parties in the online recruitment space in the coming year. Plus:

LinkedIn – Discussing the future of business networking in recruitment.

Capita – The Resourcing Operations Director discusses how his business, hiring 30,000 staff per year, sees the death of job boards and the move to social media and Twitter.

Lawspeed – Specialist recruitment law firm guides delegates through the laws behind online recruitment and Facebook hiring / firing.

Jobg8 – Robbie Cowling, the founder of Jobserve talks about Jobg8, his new business model which could change the job board market forever.

Plus the CEO of Madgex talking about the future of recruitment technology and Enhance Media launching online research findings that can be used to save time and money in online recruitment.

Enhance Media are seeking other partners who have a specialist candidate audience and who would like to obtain a better understanding of it. For more information please contact Giles Guest on 01483 719020 or email giles.guest@enhancemedia.co.uk.

www.enhancemedia.co.uk

www.noras.co.uk

December 2009 Index Highlights:
• The Monster Employment Index UK rose by four points (three percent), ending the year at a twelve-month high
• HR, manufacturing, legal and finance all reported increased opportunities in December, while demand for technically skilled workers in architecture, construction and engineering remained muted
• Wales saw the best upturn in job demand, with Scotland and London also seeing improvements

Summary Overview
Online recruitment opportunities in the UK rose four points (three percent) in December, ending the year at a level unseen over the prior 11 months. Year on year the Index was down 15 percent, the smallest since December 2008 and well below the overall EU level, suggesting the UK labour market is emerging somewhat ahead of its continental counterpart.

Among occupational groups, opportunities have risen the most for clerical support workers, many of whom are employed in temporary positions, suggesting the worst of the corporate freeze is over.

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the European Union, including Monster.co.uk.

Monster Employment Index UK findings for the past 13 months are as follows:

“Despite a still-struggling economy, UK job prospects are improving as employers slowly begin to emerge from financial crisis-induced recruitment hibernation,” commented Julian Acquari, Managing Director at Monster UK and Ireland. “Clerical and support occupations are leading the way in terms of demand recovery, suggesting companies are primarily seeking temporary staff in order to maintain workforce flexibility as long as the economic uncertainty lingers. However, the uptick in HR opportunities also suggests that more organisations are preparing to increase personnel to take advantage of opportunities presenting themselves in the wake of the downturn.”

Majority of sectors register upturn; opportunities increase most in the production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair sector
Of the 21 sectors monitored by the Index, 15 registered rises in online recruitment activity in December. HR added five points (eight percent) for a third consecutive monthly gain, reaching a ten-month Index high in a sign that corporate demand for human resources staff is picking up again.

The production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair category was top in terms of year-on-year growth in online job offerings. The environment, architecture and urbanism; engineering; and construction sectors registered the steepest rate of decline year-on-year, indicating that hiring remains muted for technical and building workers across the UK.

Opportunities rose by eight points (seven percent) in the production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair sector in a continued increase in hiring activity as heavy industry employers – traditionally less inclined to look for workers online – increased their help-wanted advertising on the internet.

Banking, finance and insurance edged up six points (six percent) to an eight month high but remained down by 24 percent year-on-year, largely mirroring lethargic hiring at the beginning of 2009.
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Strongest rise in elementary occupations
Online job demand strengthened in six of the nine occupational groups monitored by the Index in December. Elementary occupations saw the largest rise in opportunities, with a seven point (nine percent) climb in December and a 17 point (26 percent) rise throughout Q4.

Plant and machine operators and assemblers reported the steepest rate of decline in December, falling three points (five percent) amidst sustained weak demand for industrial workers. Demand for professionals fell the most year-on-year, down 27 percent.

Wales leads the way in upturn
Seven of the nine UK regions reported a rise in online job availability in December. Wales saw the highest rate of increase for the third consecutive month, jumping 17 points (eight percent) in December as well as registering the highest year-on-year increase with an eight percent improvement from December 2008. This was the region’s first annual increase in thirteen months, suggesting Wales’ job recession was significantly more short-lived than for the UK as a whole.

Northern Ireland was the only region to report a decline in December, extending a five-month downward trend. Its 27 percent drop year-on-year in December was by far the largest among all regions, suggesting Northern Ireland’s labour market comeback is lagging that of Great Britain.

Best performing sectors

Industry sectors showing the greatest rate of increase in online job availability included:

Month-on-month

Year-on-year

Monster Employment Index UK findings across industry sectors for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across occupational categories for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across the regions for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK for January will be released on February 9, 2010.

Two of the world’s leading job boards and online publishers will speak at the UK’s largest online recruitment conference in central London on 28^th January 2010.

In an exclusive industry first, Monster and Times Online will join Google and Microsoft Bing on an expert panel at “Online Recruitment 2010 – The Year Ahead” to discuss the key issues in online recruitment for the coming year.

The expert panel will answer the most pressing questions for parties involved in online recruitment such as how to save money and source better candidates. They will be joined at the conference on the 28^th January by an outstanding line-up of speakers including:

LinkedIn – Discussing how to utilise business networks to save recruitment fees.

Capita – The Resourcing Operations Director discusses how his business, hiring 30,000 staff per year, sees the death of job boards and the move of recruitment from job boards into social media and Twitter.

Jobg8 – Robbie Cowling, the founder of Jobserve talks about Jobg8, his new business model which could change the job board market forever.

Lawspeed – The specialist recruitment law firm guides delegates through the legal implications and dangers associated with online recruitment.

Plus the CEO of Madgex talks about the future of recruitment technology and Enhance Media launch online research findings that can be used to save time and money in online recruitment.

The Enhance Media conference follows on from 2009’s hugely successful event, which was attended by over 300 delegates and offers a fantastic opportunity to meet senior decision makers from the UK’s leading employers, job boards and recruitment agencies. The cost is £349.

For more information visit www.enhancemedia.co.uk/conference/2010 or call 01483 719020.

“Online Recruitment 2010 – The Year Ahead” is hosted in association with Times Online.

November 2009 Index Highlights:
• The Monster Employment Index UK rose by two points (two percent) as the online job market continued to show signs of recovery
• Online hiring increased in the majority of sectors, with the strongest growth in the arts, education and research and development sectors
• Scotland saw the largest improvement in job demand, with Wales and North England also seeing upturns

Summary Overview
Online employment opportunities in the UK rose by two points in November, as employers expanded their online recruitment efforts for the second consecutive month. The Index declined by 24 percent year-on-year, the lowest annual decline this year, as the annual pace of deterioration continued to ease in line with the gradual pick-up in hiring activity.

Opportunities extended the most in the arts, entertainment, sports and leisure sector amidst strengthened demand for cultural workers. Meanwhile, offerings in the manufacturing sector jumped to a near 18-month high in a sign that British industrial layoffs have abated. Recent data suggests Wales and Scotland are emerging ahead of England and Northern Ireland in terms of recruitment bounce-back.

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the European Union, including Monster.co.uk.

Monster Employment Index UK findings for the past 13 months are as follows:

“The November Index findings show that UK online job recruitment activity is once again trending in the upward direction,” commented Hugo Sellert, head of economic research at Monster Worldwide. “Slowly, employers seem to be gaining confidence to hire again. Online opportunities continue to grow in education and healthcare and now recently in A&E/leisure. However, it is not yet clear how soon and to what extent a return to economic growth, which is predicted for the fourth quarter, will be matched by actual payroll gains.”

Online recruitment activity increases the most in the Arts, entertainment, sport and leisure sector

Despite 16 of the 21 industry sectors registering a rise in online recruitment in November, only three sectors reported growth year-on-year.

Arts, entertainment, sports and leisure saw the highest monthly rate of increase, jumping 15 points (fourteen percent), as online job demand for cultural workers picked up. Research and development and telecommunications firms significantly expanded their online hiring efforts in November, seeing upticks of eight points (seven percent) and three points (five percent) respectively. 

Sectors showing a decline this month included banking, finance, insurance, which dropped two points (two percent) to a more-than four year low. Transport, post and logistics opportunities were hit the hardest this month, falling by seven points (six percent).

Online opportunities in the education, training and library sector have expanded significantly since last year, seeing an upturn of 63 points (28 percent). Production, manufacturing, maintenance, repair has also registered an uptick of 11 points (10 percent) since last year.
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Majority of occupational groups rise; largest uptick for clerical support workers

Online job demand strengthened in eight of the nine occupational groups monitored by the Index in November, with clerical support workers notching largest uptick, climbing five points (five percent) to reach its highest reading since November last year. The occupational group logged the most moderate annual demand decline, of seven points (six percent), further indicating that job prospects for clerks and other support workers are improving.

Elementary occupations also saw demand rise to a twelve-month high while plant and machine operators and assemblers inched modestly higher for the third consecutive month.  Demand for managers, professionals and technicians edged up in line with the overall index.

Job demand rises in the majority of regions monitored by the Index; Northern Ireland posts highest decline

Seven of the nine UK regions in the Index registered a rise in online job availability between October and November. Scotland saw the highest rate of increase, adding 10 points (nine percent), followed by Wales, which gained 15 points (eight percent). Wales and Scotland also reported the most moderate annual declines, of 11 percent each.

Also edging higher, North England improved by five points (four percent). Meanwhile, London rose two points (two percent) to an eleven-month high of 105.

Northern Ireland, by contrast, fell for the fourth consecutive month, shedding two points (two percent). Along with the Midlands, Northern Ireland also posted the largest year-on-year decline, of 30 percent.

Best performing sectors
Industry sectors showing the greatest rate of increase in online job availability included:

Month-on-month

Year-on-year

Monster Employment Index UK findings across industry sectors for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across occupational categories for the past 13 months are as follows:  

Monster Employment Index UK findings across the regions for the past 13 months are as follows:
 

Monster Employment Index UK for December will be released on January 12, 2010.

October 2009 Index Highlights:
• The Monster Employment Index UK grew by seven points as the online job market started to show early signs of recovery
• Online hiring increased in the majority of sectors, led by strong growth in education, manufacturing, transportation, hospitality and sales
• Job demand rose most in Wales, with notable upturns also recorded in Scotland and the South West

Summary Overview
Online employment opportunities in the UK increased by seven points (seven percent) in October, as job demand reached its highest level since February 2009. Opportunities remain significantly below levels 12 months ago but the annual pace of deterioration has continued to ease. The overall European Index also increased, registering an uptick of two points (two percent) in October. However, offerings were down 32 percent year-on-year.

Year-on-year, hiring levels in the UK are down 29 percent. The monthly rise in October was driven by an upturn in demand in education and the export-driven manufacturing and transportation industries. There were also increases in hospitality and tourism; and sales sectors, which jumped to a ten-month high as demand for service and sales occupations surged, possibly boosted by a rise in foreign visitors and improved consumer confidence. By contrast, opportunities in the construction sector remained at an all-time Index low.

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the European Union, including Monster.co.uk.

Monster Employment Index UK findings for the past 13 months are as follows:

“Despite economic indicators showing that the UK remains mired in recession, the solid expansion in online recruitment activity in October suggests the fourth quarter is off to a better start,” commented Hugo Sellert, head of economic research, at Monster Worldwide. “The rise in online job openings to an eight-month high points to an early recovery in hiring demand. Companies across the UK may now be considering expanding payrolls again as economic conditions have stabilised.”

Online recruitment activity increases the most in the educational sector
The vast majority of industry sectors registered month-on-month increases, with four sectors reporting annual growth. Job activity increased the most in the education, training and library sector, with a steep increase of 50 points (22 percent).

Offerings also rose sharply in the hospitality and tourism sector, growing by 17 points (14 percent) to reach a new 2009 high. An uptick in job vacancies was also seen in the public, defence, community sector, showing an increase of 13 points (13 percent) in October, or six percent year-on-year.

An upturn in hiring was seen in the administrative, organisation sector for the third consecutive month. Hiring also picked up in the transport, post and logistics; and production, manufacturing, maintenance, repair sectors with both notching solid gains.

In contrast, construction and extraction showed a steep decrease, edging down 46 percent lower than a year ago, indicating still-depressed demand for construction workers.

Majority of occupational groups rise; skilled agriculture, forestry and fishery falls
Eight of the nine occupational groups monitored by the Index registered increased offerings, with service and sales workers rising the most with an 11 point (16 percent) gain. Year-on-year, however, the category is down 22 percent.

Despite a modest rise in October, professionals was the worst-performing occupational group on a year-on-year basis, exhibiting a 38 percent decline. This annual dip reflects a contraction in the job market for highly-skilled and often highly-paid professional workers. In contrast, demand has held up well for technicians and associate professionals, suggesting employers are hiring lower-level professionals in order to control labour costs.

Job demand rises in the majority of regions monitored by the Index; all regions fall year-on-year
Online job availability rose in eight out of the nine regions in October, with Wales leading with a 21 point (12 percent) jump as job activity increased for the first time in five months. Increases were also seen in Scotland, South West and North England. However, all regions fell year-on-year.

Northern Ireland was the only region to edge lower in the Index, shedding one point (one percent) as demand fell for the third straight month.

London is showing the most moderate rate of decline among all regions, with recruitment activity falling 20 percent year-on-year. This slight recovery in online job demand has been driven by increased demand in the arts, entertainment, sport, leisure; and accounting, audit, taxes sectors. The Midlands showed the largest annual rate of decline, falling by 36 percent, due to decreasing hiring in construction and extraction; environment, architecture and urbanism; and engineering.

Best performing sectors
Industry sectors showing the greatest rate of increase in online job availability included:

Month-on-month

Year-on-year

Monster Employment Index UK findings across industry sectors for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across occupational categories for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across the regions for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK for November will be released on December 8, 2009.

The launch of general online recruitment website CVSearch.co.uk is getting ever closer, with the team estimating to go live in November/December of 2009.
Managing Director Sam Rawson tells us “CVSearch.co.uk is to be a new general online recruitment website, competing with the likes of monster, totaljobs, reed, jobsite etc.

“We’re up against some serious competition in the general jobs board market, but we really believe that the simple and easy use of our design will give us the competitive edge we need. Not only that, but we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves to help give our site a USP in this relatively saturated market.

“We’ve taken into consideration the pressures that recruitment agencies are under at this difficult time and are going to do everything in our power to help them ride out the storm. We’ve also implemented some unique features into our site, which should help reduce their workload and increase the quality of their candidates.
CVSearch.co.uk will be paired with CVDatabase.co.uk – which will be the jobseekers portal to the site.

“CVDatabase.co.uk is the portal used by jobseekers, as with CV Search, we’ve designed it to be as simple, and easy to use as possible. We’ve created an interactive homepage which will mould around the user, by selecting the region and industry they want to work in, we’ll constantly update them with jobs that meet their criteria. This should not only make life easier, but give the user an incentive to return back to the site and keep their information up-to-date.”

For more information on either sites, please visit the links below.

http://www.cvsearch.co.uk
http://www.cvdatabase.co.uk

September 2009 Index Highlights:
• The Monster Employment Index UK dipped by two points as online job availability declined for the second consecutive month
• Online job demand fell markedly in the public sector, with losses also seen in the technology sector. Offerings grew in sales
• Job demand held steady in London and the Midlands, whilst hiring in North England and the South West fell most

Summary Overview
Online employment opportunities across the UK dipped by two points (two percent) in September, as job demand dropped slightly for the second straight month. Despite this fall, online hiring has remained largely flat since the turn of the year. The overall European Index also dipped three points (three percent) in August and fell by 37 percent year-on-year.

Year-on-year, hiring levels in the UK are down 33 percent. September saw a notable decrease in hiring activity in public sector, defence, community. There was reduced availability in education, training, and library; and healthcare, social work – possibly reflecting pressure on government spending amid widening deficits. Declines were also seen in IT; engineering; and R&D, indicating that the technology sector continues to be hit by the economic slowdown. By contrast, demand for workers in sales increased, suggesting retailers are more optimistic amidst the recovery in consumer confidence.

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the European Union, including Monster.co.uk.

Monster Employment Index UK findings for the past 13 months are as follows:

“Hiring among UK companies remains worryingly stagnant. As long as the macroeconomic outlook is uncertain, companies will remain reticent to hire workers, which in itself could slow the actual recovery,” commented Hugo Sellert, head of economic research, at Monster Worldwide. “Despite sharp drops in hiring in the public sector and among technology companies in September, there is some cause for optimism in the broader business sector. Recruiting increased in the third quarter for areas such as sales, management and office and administrative support.”

Demand public sector workers plunges as the sales sector sees signs of recovery
Just eight of the 21 industry sectors monitored by the Index registered overall increases in online job availability in September. Public sector, defence, community was hit the hardest, with offerings down by 11 points (ten percent) in September. The sector dropped to a 14-month low, indicating less hiring in the government sphere.

There were also decreases in healthcare, social work (down six points, or two percent); and education, training and library (down nine points, or four percent), although they remained the only two industry sectors to report growth on an annual basis.

The technology sector saw a continued ease in demand for workers as online hiring fell in engineering (down five points, or five percent); IT (down two points, or three percent); and research and development (down seven points, or six percent). Job availability for HR workers also retracted sharply, suggesting overall demand for recruiting personnel remains weak.

Telecommunications registered the highest upturn in online hiring, increasing by six points (ten percent). There were also notable jumps in arts, entertainment, sports, leisure (up seven points, or seven percent); and accounting, audit, taxes sectors (up four points, or five percent).

Opportunities in the sales sector inched marginally higher, extending a six-month positive trend, showing signs of recovery in online hiring among retailers.

Hiring drops for service and sales workers; string upturn for skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers
Online job demand for service and sales workers fell by one point (one percent) in September. This category registered the largest annual fall in online job demand, plummeting by 50 points (42 percent).

There were also sharp downturns in hiring in September for craft, and related workers (down five points, or four percent); technicians and associate professionals (down four points, or three percent); and elementary occupations (down four points, or six percent).

By contrast, skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers posted the sharpest uptick, growing by 21 points, or 14 percent. It was also the only occupational group to register an increase in job availability compared to a year ago.

Demand for clerical support workers saw a second successive upturn, increasing by seven points (seven percent). Hiring of plant and machine operators, and assemblers also edged slightly higher (up one point, or two percent).

Job demand falls most in North England and the South West; hiring holds steady in the Midlands and London
None of the nine UK regions registered an increase in online hiring. Demand fell most in North England (down three points, or two percent) and the South West (down three points, or two percent). Job opportunities fell in Wales for the fourth consecutive month.

Offerings held steady in both the Midlands and London. Year-on-year, East Anglia is showing the most moderate rate of decline, whilst Northern Ireland and the Midlands have dropped furthest.

Best performing sectors
Industry sectors showing the greatest rate of increase in online job availability included:

Month-on-month

Year-on-year

Monster Employment Index UK findings across industry sectors for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across occupational categories for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across the regions for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK for October will be released on November 10, 2009.