Monster Index Fell Six Points in July

The dip in the index in July follows two months of strong growth (See Monster Employment Index Climbs Four Points in June ). Monster attributes the fall to seasonal slowdowns in online recruitment common for mid-summer.

Some of the highlights from the index for July include:

• Online opportunities in transportation and warehousing fell amid higher fuel prices;
• Military-related and protective service occupations registered a second consecutive month of upward growth;
• Online job availability for healthcare practitioners and technical occupations saw the biggest surge in two years.

Ten of the 20 industry categories tracked by the index showed declines. Demand for workers in agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting registered the steepest drop, falling 13 points due to a seasonal lull in hiring. Opportunities in the transportation and warehousing industry also fell by 10 points.

The construction industry continued a three-month downward trend in July, and retail trade and real estate were also down, shedding three and four points, respectively.

The demand for workers in the finance and insurance industry rebounded five points, recording the strongest month-to-month increases. Opportunities for workers in public administration and the wholesale trade industry organizations also increased, up four points and three points, respectively.

The accommodation and food industry continued a three-month growth trend, edging up two points and showing the strongest year-over-year growth among the 20 industries tracked. Utilities also continued its upward trend, gaining two points.

Fourteen of the 23 occupational categories tracked by the Index showed declines of varying degrees in July, with management occupations registering the steepest drop, sliding 17 points and contributing significantly to the Index’s overall decline.

However, the demand for military occupations showed an upturn, climbing 25 points and registering the strongest rate of growth of all occupations for the month. Similarly, jobs in protective service also increased sharply, rising 11 points.

Online job availability in the healthcare practitioners and technical category jumped nine points, while demand for healthcare support workers rose three points.

According to the survey, eight of the nine geographical regions experienced slowed online recruitment activity in July, with the region that includes Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and the Dakotas remaining stagnant. The Mid-Atlantic region registered the most substantial dip, while Louisiana remained the fastest growing state year-over-year.

A full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for July 2006 is here .