The 26-point fall in the Monster Employment Index Europe in January brought about a sixth consecutive month of lower online recruiting activity. The fall was the largest since the inception of the Index and driven by Europe's biggest market Germany, which registered fewer online job vacancies than a year earlier for the first time since the Index's inception in 2004. The UK also saw a significant decrease. Belgium, meanwhile, saw a comparatively moderate decline.

"Sluggish business activity and sustained uncertainty about a rebound from the current poor conditions have led leading companies across Europe to go on the defensive," commented Hugo Sellert, head of economic research at Monster Worldwide. "Many markets and industries have gone from expansion mode to contraction mode in".

The Monster Employment Index Europe fell 26 points in January, marking the steepest monthly fall on record as EU online recruitment activity fell for a sixth consecutive month.

- Online opportunities across the EU were down 33 points or 24 percent year-on-year as all major markets saw sharp declines.

- The UK reported the sharpest decrease on the month, while Germany saw negative annual growth for the first time in Index records.

- Sectors marking the most significant falls were manufacturing; architecture and tourism. Elsewhere, telecommunications; agriculture; transportation; and engineering also fell sharply.

- Healthcare and social work professionals saw higher demand and remained the top growth sector from an annual perspective. Education, training and library was also up, year-on-year.