Monster Employment Index reveals sharp increase in job openings.

What is the Monster
Employment Index?

The Monster Employment Index is a monthly measure of online job opportunities. Statistics are cultivated from a large pool of corporate level career Web Sites and job boards, including Monster®. The Monster Employment Index statistics reveal a sharp increase in job openings for the month of August 2009.

What is the current rate and how does this
compare?

The Monster employment index for the month of August revealed the highest monthly increase in job opportunities in four years. The Index rose seven points, or 6 percent, which was the highest monthly rate of increase since August 2005. Year-over-year decline slowed to 24 percent, which was the most moderate pace of slowdown so far this year. August’s rate was 121, July 114, June 117, etc.

What Industries are doing the most hiring?

The August statistics show that retail, administrative and financial industries have the most solid growth. Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations are also on the rise.

What Industries showed a decrease in hiring?

Statistics for Healthcare, community, personal care and services reveal a decreased demand for these occupations. Agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting registered the sharpest decline among industries in August.

Why the increase? What has changed?

The summer months slowed down for a lot of industries. As a result, hiring slowed as well and is now starting to pick back up.

What does it all mean?

“The significant jump in the Monster Employment Index in August offers encouraging signs of improvement in the US economy with the demand for managers and professionals as well as sales and office workers picking up in time for the fall hiring season,” said Jesse Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. “The index is now at its highest since February while showing the most moderate yearly rate of contraction since December 2008.”