· The Monster Employment Index Europe fell six points in November as online recruitment activity across the EU continued slowing
· The Index slipped into negative annual growth territory for the first time on record, showing a 6 percent decline in European online job offerings since November 2007
· The steepest falls were seen in France and the UK, while Italy and Germany reported some growth and remained higher than a year ago
· Sharply reduced opportunities were seen in the automotive, consulting and agricultural sectors, while demand for healthcare workers continued to rise sharply. Telecommunications and government also reported more offerings
Summary Overview
Online job availability across the EU declined compared to a year earlier for the first time since the inception of the Monster Employment Index Europe in December 2004, ending a four-year growth streak. While steep falls were seen in France and the UK, Germany and Italy continued to provide buoyancy among the major markets. A majority of industries and occupations registered fewer opportunities in November. Nonetheless, recruitment activity surged further in the healthcare sector, signalling growing labour shortages in areas such as nursing.
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 Europe, including Monster.
"The labour market follows the economy with a time lag and the decreasing trend in EU recruitment activity reflects the impact that this year’s slow growth and uncertainty have had on hiring," commented Hugo Sellert, head of economic research at Monster Worldwide. "However, it is important to note that not all markets have been hit equally. In particular the German market remained steady and the Italian market has shown a moderate pace of increase partly due to growing use of online recruitment tools by Italian businesses."
Automotive sector slumps, as demand for healthcare and public sector
The automotive industry showed the largest monthly decline in job offerings, slumping by 20 points in a third consecutive month. Online opportunities in the sector are now down 18 points, or 11 percent, from a year ago, as Europe's carmakers battle a slump in consumer demand.
Management and consulting also took a hit in November, as companies continued reining in non-essential expenses in response to the weakened business climate. The 12- point decline was driven by major falls in France and Germany, while the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK saw milder decreases. Year-on-year, the sector was down eight points, or five percent.
In contrast, online recruiting activity in healthcare and social work continued to rise sharply, jumping 47 points in November. Now at its highest level on record, the sector was driven by remarkable growth in the UK, while large gains were also seen in Germany and Italy. By contrast, opportunities fell in France and Sweden. Year-on-year growth was 203 points, or 86 percent, the highest among industry sectors.
The public sector, defence and community also saw solid growth of six points, as higher demand for government workers in the UK, France, Germany and Sweden pushed the sector up. By contrast, offerings fell in the Netherlands as well as in Belgium and Italy.
Plant and machine operators continue to see fewer online job opportunities, as Sweden shows sharp fall
Job opportunities for plant and machine operators and assemblers fell 21 points in November, as demand for factory and construction workers fell sharply in Sweden, with falls also recorded in the UK, France, Belgium and Germany. Skilled agricultural and fishery workers also saw opportunities drop in November, following a month of increase.
Meanwhile, craft and related workers saw demand bounce back by four points in November, following a decline in October. Job availability rose in Germany and Italy. Online hiring dipped mainly in the UK, France, Netherlands and Sweden. Year-on-year growth was 44 points, or 30%, the highest among occupational groups.
