Monster Newsletter
Quarter 1, 2008

The Monster Employment Index is a real-time, comprehensive monthly analysis of U.S. online job demand compiled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards, including Monster.

Key findings for January 2008:
U.S. online job availability is now slightly lower than a year ago, according to the Monster Employment Index, which declined for the third consecutive month in January. Almost all industries, occupations and regions monitored reported fewer opportunities than in the previous month.

"The downturn primarily reflects a seasonal slowdown in hiring at the onset of 2008", said Monster Research Manager Hugo Sellert, "but also indicates further softening in the labor market as a result of the slowing economy."

Workers are still in high demand in a few sectors such as healthcare and government. The largest 12-month online recruitment declines, in Florida and California, mirror the impact of these areas' cooling housing markets.

Click here to learn more about the factors affecting the Labor Market using the Monster Employment Index.