Monster Employment Index Edges Down Slightly in June

The economy appears to be leveling off.  MEI is down by 1 point, but real estate is moving. - Dan

from Monster.com

June 2009 Index Highlights:

• Index fell by one point reflecting seasonal
  lull in U.S. online recruitment activity
  


• Year-over-year growth rate showed slight
  improvement from previous two months
  


• Real estate, rental and leasing registered
  strongest monthly rise in online job availability among industries amid signs of
  stabilization in the housing market
  


• Among occupations, legal and protective
  services led all categories in June while demand eased further for technically
  skilled professionals

NEW YORK, July 1, 2009- The Monster
Employment Index slipped one point or one percent in June as online job
opportunities fell modestly, largely in line with seasonal expectations.
Year-over-year, the Index was down 28 percent, somewhat of an improvement from
April and May's annual pace of decline.

The Monster Employment Index is a
monthly gauge of U.S. online job demand based on a real-time review of millions
of employer job opportunities culled from a large representative selection of
corporate career Web sites and job boards, including Monster®.

During
June, online job availability rose in eight of the Index's 20 industry sectors
and twelve of the 23 occupational categories monitored.

"While U.S. online job availability has remained
largely flat since January, the annual pace improved during the second quarter,
suggesting some expansion in underlying employer demand for workers," said Jesse
Harriott, senior vice president and chief knowledge officer at Monster
Worldwide. "Still, current levels of online job vacancies are at their lowest
since January 2005, illustrating the extent to which hiring has slowed during
this recession."

Real Estate Industry Registers Largest Monthly
Increase in Online Job Demand in June
Online labor demand in the
real estate, rental and leasing industry jumped sharply in June. This rise
coincides with the marginally improved statistics on residential sales declared
by the National Association of Realtors, suggesting a pick-up in housing sector
activity may be imminent. Demand for educational services also increased gaining
further momentum after a slow start at the beginning of the
year.

Meanwhile, management of companies and enterprises edged up by one
point and the wholesale trade industry remained flat. In contrast, the
manufacturing industry saw a moderate decline in the month reaching its lowest
level in the Index since inception.

On an annual basis, agriculture and
public administration remained the only two sectors showing increased online job
demand.

Online Job Opportunities for Legal and Protective
Services Occupations Rise while Architecture and Engineering
Ease
Among occupations, legal and protective services registered the
strongest monthly increases in online job availability in June. Offerings for
legal occupations jumped nine points, or 11 percent, in a positive sign for
recent law school graduates. Protective services added eight points signaling
increased hiring for law enforcement workers and fire fighters. The Index also
showed greater demand for workers in sales and personal care as well as for arts
and entertainment professionals.

Meanwhile, demand eased further for
technically skilled professionals in areas such as architecture and engineering
and the sciences, with architecture and engineering being one of the weakest
trending sectors among white-collar workers. In contrast, the traditional
blue-collar occupations were up in the Index, experiencing an improved annual
growth rate in June.

Year-over-year, farming, fishing and forestry came
in flat, while military specific, healthcare support and education experienced
only modest declines.

Online Job Availability Remains Flat in Six
of the Nine U.S. Census Bureau Regions in June
During June, online
job availability remained flat in six of the nine U.S. Census Bureau regions.
East South Central was the only region to edge higher amid increased online
recruitment activity in Mississippi, while West North Central and South Atlantic
dipped.

Year-over-year, East South Central boasts the most moderate rate
of decline, while Pacific continues to show the highest pace of
decline.

At the state level, monthly changes were minor in most states
except Alaska and Oklahoma, each of which saw notable increases in online
demand.

Ten of the Top 28 Major U.S. Metro Markets Register
Increases in June
Posting a third month of consecutive rise, Orlando
notched a one-point gain amid increased job opportunities for education,
training and library; and blue-collar occupations like installation, maintenance
and repair; and production. Meanwhile, Boston bounced back from a record low in
May, and Chicago added one point amid increased demand for healthcare, food
services, sales and transportation occupations.

At the opposite end of
the spectrum, Cincinnati experienced the most notable decline due to reduced
demand for business and financial operations; life, physical and social
sciences; and office and administrative support
occupations.

Year-over-year, all 28 metro markets registered a negative
annual growth with Sacramento and Pittsburgh exhibiting the most moderate rate
of decline.

To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report
for June 2009, and access current individual data charts for each of the 28
metro markets tracked, please visit http://about-monster.com/employment-index..
Data for the month of July 2009 will be released on August 6,
2009.

About the Monster Employment Index
Launched in
April 2004 with data collected since October 2003, the Monster Employment Index
is a broad and comprehensive monthly analysis of U.S. online job demand
conducted by Monster Worldwide, Inc. Based on a real-time review of millions of
employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of
corporate career sites and job boards, including Monster, the Monster Employment
Index presents a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide.
All of the data and findings in the Monster Employment Index have been validated
for their accuracy through independent, third party auditing conducted on a
monthly basis by Research America, Inc. The audit validates the accuracy of the
online job recruitment activity measured within a margin of error of +/-
1.05%.