Strong Growth in UK Online Recruitment in February according to the Monster Employment Index
- Online Hiring Rebounds From Seasonal Dip in January -
- Significant Increases in Healthcare, Social Work; and Management and Consulting Sectors -
London, March 11, 2008 – Online recruitment in the UK rose significantly in February as the Monster Employment Index grew by 32 points, rebounding strongly from a seasonal dip in January. The Monster Employment Index UK 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.co.uk.
The Index reached a level of 192 points in February, partly due to strong growth in online job availability in the healthcare, social work; and management and consulting sectors. The Index also showed significant increases in demand for the majority of occupational groups, with online opportunities for clerks rising the most. Overall, the Index is up 52 points, or 37 percent, compared to February 2007.
"The sharp rise in online hiring in February indicates that the demand for workers across the UK remains elevated despite signs of a slowing economy,” said Julian Acquari, managing director of Monster UK and Ireland. "While recruitment has clearly moderated in the financial sector, opportunities in most other industries have continued to expand. The Index seems to show a positive outlook for the UK employment market.”
Monster Employment Index UK results over the past 13 months are as follows:
Feb 08 Jan 08 Dec 07 Nov 07 Oct 07 Sept 07 Aug 07 Jul 07 Jun 07 May 07 Apr 07 Mar 07 Feb 07
192 160 174 169 160 162 167 165 170 162 141 150 140
Significant Growth in Online Demand in the Healthcare and Social Work; and Management and Consulting Sectors in February
A significant increase in online job demand in the healthcare and social work sector, following two months of decline, was a key contributing factor to the Index’s strong growth in February. Opportunities for legislators, senior officials and managers grew significantly in this sector, as did hiring of professionals; and technicians and associate professionals. Growth was registered in all regions of the UK, with the South West showing the highest rate of increase. There were also notable rises in Scotland and the Midlands.
Opportunities in management and consulting increased in February for the fourth consecutive month. The most significant upturn was seen among legislators, senior officials and managers, which showed a decline in January. All regions saw an increase in demand. The South West recorded the highest rise in job availability whilst North England grew for the fourth month in a row.
Job availability in the engineering sector also bounced back from a dip in January, led by an increase in hiring of legislators, senior officials and managers. Demand also grew significantly for professionals. There was an upturn in hiring in this sector across all regions in the UK.
In contrast, the legal sector was the only industry to see a dip in online job demand. Hiring decreased for the second consecutive month, led by a decline in hiring of professionals. The most significant declines were in the South East and London.
The banking, finance, insurance sector made a partial recovery from the significant dip in January, adding 16 points. Nonetheless, this sector registered a year-on-year decrease for the first time on record, illustrating the impact of the global credit market turmoil on hiring in this industry.
Industry Feb 08 Jan 08 Dec 07 Nov 07 Oct 07 Sep 07 Aug 07 Jul 07 Jun 07 May 07 Apr 07 Mar 07 Feb 07
Accounting, audit, taxes 142 118 122 111 113 119 123 121 122 121 106 129 124
Administrative, organisation 220 182 199 192 204 188 195 181 209 205 184 196 179
Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure 191 182 201 195 163 180 172 137 131 135 132 161 137
Banking, finance, insurance 168 152 178 157 177 149 158 173 210 193 187 202 182
Construction and extraction 174 156 161 176 163 147 153 146 141 146 138 138 134
Education, training and library 195 167 192 192 166 141 139 152 143 142 130 129 128
Engineering 206 166 180 177 161 153 165 160 147 149 141 142 137
Environment, architecture and urbanism 235 195 218 203 203 163 175 169 155 157 164 157 148
Healthcare, social work 202 156 176 196 182 177 183 182 171 184 162 149 156
Hospitality and tourism 148 130 133 139 144 134 131 141 140 151 112 139 113
HR 233 193 201 196 189 193 200 187 183 199 195 194 182
IT 150 130 127 125 114 117 124 132 125 124 108 118 114
Legal 196 204 229 210 185 186 195 201 248 215 195 248 217
Management and consulting 242 200 192 184 178 186 185 177 198 163 156 157 154
Marketing, PR and media 241 209 221 198 185 178 185 181 186 175 171 177 154
Production, manufacturing, maintenance, Repair 121 114 109 112 107 112 114 113 106 105 98 99 97
Public Sector, defence, community 109 98 102 107 102 100 99 101 96 102 97 98 99
Research and development 181 146 143 136 134 145 142 129 141 129 123 129 125
Sales 158 129 142 141 136 173 171 170 179 158 119 123 117
Telecommunication 112 110 120 134 122 116 119 119 123 125 117 120 122
Transport, post and logistics 159 136 149 140 139 143 142 133 127 129 118 115 110
Notable Rises in Online Demand for Clerks; and Professionals in February
Online job availability for clerks grew by 31 Index points, reversing two consecutive months of decline. Growth was mainly due to high demand in the administrative, organisation; sales; and IT sectors. Demand increased in all regions, with the South East and Scotland showing the biggest increases.
Demand for professionals also rose sharply in February, largely due to growth in the healthcare, social work sector. Hiring also increased in the arts, entertainment, sports, leisure; and research and development sectors. Demand grew in all regions with Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Midlands showing the strongest growth.
The legislators, senior officials and managers category increased by 28 points in February, following two months of decline. Demand in marketing, PR and media rose for the fourth month in succession.
Elementary occupations declined for the second month in a row, mainly due to a decline in hiring in the construction and extraction sector. Demand fell in the majority of UK regions, with the sharpest decreases experienced in the South East, the Midlands and London.
Occupation Group Feb 08 Jan 08 Dec 07 Nov 07 Oct 07 Sept 07 Aug 07 Jul 07 Jun 07 May 07 Apr 07 Mar 07 Feb 07
Legislators, senior officials and managers 161 133 148 148 142 167 166 164 168 148 115 120 110
Professionals 202 173 185 178 165 168 174 178 180 170 148 161 152
Technicians and associate professionals 175 150 165 150 153 144 151 150 164 161 150 160 149
Clerks 172 141 146 158 148 157 157 137 136 147 129 129 124
Service workers and shop and market sales workers 155 132 145 147 143 138 140 143 142 159 121 141 119
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers 197 199 160 190 153 158 137 141 147 165 154 126 130
Craft and related workers 322 299 292 294 257 297 299 272 246 245 225 213 218
Plant and machine operators and assemblers 129 113 114 161 129 114 113 115 112 115 114 114 115
Elementary occupations 94 119 121 89 88 87 87 87 101 116 113 116 110
Online Recruitment Increases in All UK Regions
Online hiring increased across all regions in the UK in February. In contrast to January, the South West experienced the biggest upturn in job demand, principally caused by an increase in the healthcare, social work sector. Online hiring grew in the IT; and research and development sectors for the fourth consecutive month. Among occupations, the strongest increase was in service workers and shop and market sales workers. Year-on-year growth was the highest of all UK regions at 145 Index points, or 89%.
Wales increased considerably following a dip in January, due in part to growth in the healthcare, social work sector. There were also increases in the accounting, audit, taxes; and engineering sectors. Demand for plant and machine operators and assemblers continued to grow for the second successive month.
Online hiring also increased significantly in North England, despite a second consecutive dip in opportunities in the legal sector. There was also significant growth in the Midlands, largely due to increases in the healthcare, social work; and accounting, audit, taxes sectors.
Region Feb 8 Jan 8 Dec 7 Nov 7 Oct-07 Sep-07 Aug-07 Jul-07 Jun-07 May-07 Apr-07 Mar-07 Feb-07
Midlands 209 168 183 177 172 170 176 171 168 170 151 162 157
North England 210 168 187 183 171 172 178 168 176 177 156 164 156
London 155 142 147 146 140 142 145 144 150 142 131 139 133
South East 137 126 132 132 127 127 128 129 135 129 119 123 119
South West 308 264 286 264 250 266 281 266 221 226 180 179 163
Wales 273 231 232 207 209 213 220 211 216 211 172 178 173
Scotland 187 147 160 142 146 156 161 162 150 153 135 141 122
East Anglia 193 164 172 163 159 166 174 177 175 167 162 177 168
Northern Ireland 175 149 166 135 137 151 129 142 146 140 132 129 143
Monster Employment Index UK data for March will be released on April 8, 2008.
About The Monster Employment Index UK
Providing a broad, comprehensive monthly analysis of online job demand, the Monster Employment Index UK is an extension of the Monster Employment Index Europe, which is compiled each month by researchers at Monster Worldwide Europe.
Launched in June 2005, the Monster Employment Index Europe provides monthly insight into recruitment trends across the European Union. The Index report is 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 across Europe, including Monster®. The Index is audited by Research America, Inc. and provides analyses of online job demand within occupational categories, industry sectors and regions.
Monthly Index reports for France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Europe are available at:
http://www.monsterworldwide.com/Press_Room/MEI_EU.asp
