The Monster Employment Index UK grew by one point (one percent) in June, showing some recovery from the three point (two percent) dip in May. The recent flatness in online job availability indicates that demand for workers has stabilised following last year’s dramatic fall. While the Index has dropped a sizeable 67 points (38 percent) year-on-year, the pace of deterioration has remained largely steady since February.

June 2009 Index Highlights:

- The Monster Employment Index UK edged up by one percent in June, recovering slightly from a 2% drop in May. Overall, the Index is down 38 percent year-on-year

- Online job opportunities expanded in the education, healthcare and telecom sectors, while offerings fell in construction, leisure and hospitality, and construction

- Regionally, London saw the biggest upturn in demand. Job availability also rose marginally in North England, the South West and Northern Ireland

Summary Overview

The Monster Employment Index UK grew by one point (one percent) in June, showing some recovery from the three point (two percent) dip in May. The recent flatness in online job availability indicates that demand for workers has stabilised following last year’s dramatic fall. While the Index has dropped a sizeable 67 points (38 percent) year-on-year, the pace of deterioration has remained largely steady since February.

This upturn in June was principally caused by increased demand for workers in the healthcare, social work; telecommunications; and education, training and library sectors. By contrast, there was reduced demand in the research and development; arts, entertainment, sports and leisure; hospitality and tourism; and construction and extraction industries. The overall European Index dipped 2 points in June and contracted by 64 points (39 percent) year-on-year.

The Monster Employment Index Europe is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards across the UK, including Monster.co.uk.

“While it seems that the worst of the downturn in hiring activity is behind us, the latest Monster Employment Index reading shows that the UK labour market remains in a lull, with further rises in unemployment to be expected over the summer,” commented Hugo Sellert, head of economic research, at Monster Worldwide. “With the economy still in contraction, it could take some time before companies start adding staff again. However, some areas of the job market are still flourishing, such as the education and healthcare sectors, where the need for qualified workers remains strong.”