Monster Employment Index Off 3 Points

New York, NY, August 2, 2007--The Monster Employment Index dipped three points in July, reflecting a typical seasonal summer slowdown in online recruitment activity.

The Index has shown a decline in online job demand every July since its inception in April 2004 because employers typically hire fewer people during the summer. The Monster Employment Index is based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from more than 1,500 different Web sites, including Monster.

Despite the Index's slight decline last month, its year-over-year growth rate increased slightly to 11% yet remained below the Index's average growth pace during the second quarter, suggesting continued moderation in online recruiting at the outset of the third quarter. Overall, only six of 20 industries and four of 23 occupational categories tracked by the Index registered increased online job availability last month

 Management of companies and enterprises was the industry category that had  the highest rate of increase in online job availability during July. Meanwhile, online opportunities in the finance and insurance industry edged higher. Public administration also saw gains in online job demand for the ninth consecutive month, indicating robust demand in the government sector.

By contrast, goods-producing industries showed signs of continued softness, as both the construction and manufacturing industry categories extended three-month downward trends. Transportation and warehousing also registered fewer online opportunities, but the category remains sharply higher than its year-ago level.

Construction-related occupational categories all showed lower online job availability in July, reflecting continued weakness in the U.S. housing sector. The Index's two healthcare categories also dipped. Nevertheless, healthcare occupations remain the Index's top growth categories year-over-year after enjoying a strong upward growth trend through the first half of 2007.