| Log In | Register Now
November 5, 2010 6:36 AM EDT
A monthly gauge of online labor demand in the United States dropped two points in October but rose 13 percent compared to the reading from a year ago, a private research group said on Thursday.
Monster Worldwide Inc, an online careers and recruiting firm, said its employment index fell to 136 points in October from 138 in September.
In year-over-year terms, this marked the ninth consecutive month of growth. However, the pace of growth has slowed since the summer, when the index rose 21 percent compared to a year earlier.
"Despite the contraction in the annual growth rate, expansion continues in a sustained manner for several large industries and markets over the long term," said Jesse Harriott, a vice president at Monster.
"Conditions also continue to be favorable across the country, with opportunities rising above the levels they were last year in all major metro markets monitored by the Index," he said.
Follow us
The Monster index registered increases in 10 of 20 industries and eight of 23 occupations monitored in the last month.
Online job demand was higher in one of the nine U.S. census regions and 13 of the 28 major metropolitan markets monitored by the index.
For example, New York maintained a relatively rapid 17 percent annual growth pace in October, while the District of Columbia was the only location to register an annual decline.
The report comes ahead of the U.S. Labor Department's release of weekly initial claims for jobless benefits, due later on Thursday and expected at 443,000 according to a Reuters poll of economists.
The Monster Employment index is a monthly analysis based on a selection of corporate career sites and job boards. The margin of error is approximately plus or minus 1 percent.
(Reporting by Edith Honan; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
We value your privacy. Your email address will not be shared.
