New York, NY, April 6, 2006--Online job classified advertisements increased in March for a third straight month, led by more postings by business and professional services companies, said Monster Worldwide Inc., on Thursday.
The Monster Employment Index climbed to 164 in March from February's 157 and year-ago's 130. The March reading was the highest level since the index started in April 2004, according to Monster, parent of the job search Web site Monster.com.
Online job demand for workers rose in 16 of 20 industries last month, and postings were strong across the country. March ended a strong quarter for online recruitment, suggesting continued broad job growth, the company said.
"The hiring outlook continues to bode well for job seekers and for this springs' new crop of college graduates," Steve Pogorzelski, Group President, International at Monster Worldwide, said in a statement.
Among the nine U.S. regions, the West South Central region posted the sharpest rise in online job availability in March. The increase was fueled by heavy demand for workers to aid in the reconstruction of the U.S. Gulf areas damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year, according to Monster.
While the Monster job index suggested ongoing improvement in the labor market, other U.S. employment data have pointed to slower job growth in March.
