Monster Employment Index Sees Modest Rise of Three Points in August, as Online Recruitment Activity Rebounds Slightly from Seasonal Summer Slowdown

The Monster Employment Index rose three points in August, reflecting a slight rebound in online job availability across a majority of industries, occupations and geographical regions following the traditionally slower summer months of June and July. 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®. The Index’s three-point gain last month was smaller than the typical rise seen in past months of August and trimmed the Index’s annual growth pace to roughly 7.5 percent, its lowest level on record and a further indication of softening employer demand for labor. Overall, 10 of 20 industries and 16 of 23 occupational categories tracked by the Index registered increased online job availability last month. Index results for the past 13 months are as follows: Aug. 07   Jul. 07   Jun. 07   May 07   Apr. 07   Mar. 07   Feb. 07   Jan. 07   Dec. 06   Nov. 06   Oct. 06   Sept. 06   Aug. 06 186 183 186 189 186 185 177 168 167 175 172 172 173 "Although the Index was broadly up in August, the overall increase in online job availability was more modest than in previous years and points to further moderation in online recruitment activity compared to last year,” said Steve Pogorzelski, Executive Vice President, Global Sales and Customer Development at Monster Worldwide. "The Index’s findings suggest that employers are recruiting more cautiously amid general uncertainties as to how much the troubled domestic housing sector will negatively impact broader U.S. economic growth in the months ahead.” Administrative, Support, Waste Management and Remediation; Arts, Entertainment and Recreation; and Information Register the Highest Rate of Increase in August Among industries, the administrative, support, waste management and remediation category registered the highest rate of increase in online job availability during the month of August, rising seven points, or six percent, followed by arts, entertainment and recreation; and information. Meanwhile, finance and insurance surprisingly edged up six points, or four percent, but remains flat year-over-year. Online job availability in the construction industry also rose eight points in August and is now up nine percent on a year-over-year basis. The transportation and warehousing industry, which added eight points in August, remains the top growth category among industries on an annual basis. In contrast, the retail trade and public administration industry categories saw the largest declines in August, as both fell about four percent on the month. The sharp seven-point drop in online demand in the retail trade industry was unexpected and pushed its annual growth into the single digits for the first time since the Index’s inception. Although August has not always brought an increase in recruitment activity to the retail sector in the past, the size of the decline suggests that retailers have been much more cautious lately about hiring than in previous years. The mining industry category also saw a significant drop-off in online job demand last month, falling nine points and continuing a six-month downward trend. Education, Training and Library; Community and Social Services; and Office and Administrative Support Occupations Register Sharpest Monthly Increases The education, training and library; community and social services; and office and administrative support occupational categories registered the largest gains in online job availability in August, as schools and other public and private community service entities commenced hiring for the fall semester, and corporate sector strength helped fuel hiring for call center and customer service employees. The up-ticks in these categories mirror similar August Index findings in each of the previous years since its inception. Meanwhile, the sales and related occupational category registered a modest two-point gain in August, but remains down on a year-over-year basis for the third consecutive month. Contrary to seasonal expectations, online recruitment for business and financial operations occupations remained flat in August and is now up just two percent on the year. The food serving and related occupations category saw the sharpest decline in August, falling seven points, or three percent, while fewer online job opportunities in the legal sector caused that category to shed five points, or two percent. Nevertheless, both categories remain up on a year-over-year basis, with food serving and related up a sizable 15 percent and legal up nine percent over the year. Eight of Nine U.S. Census Bureau Regions Show Increased Online Job Availability in August Among the nine U.S. Census Bureau Regions tracked, the West North Central and Mountain regions registered the highest rate of monthly increase in August. The West North Central region’s rise was fueled by higher demand for workers in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa, while the Mountain region was helped by expanded opportunities in Montana, Arizona and Utah. The New England region remained flat for the third consecutive month. Forty-four U.S. states registered increased online job demand during August, with Kansas, Vermont and Montana seeing the highest rates of increase over the month. Texas remained in the top slot on a year-over-year basis. To obtain a full copy of the Monster Employment Index report for August 2007, including all charts and tables, please visit http://www.monsterworldwide.com/Press_Room/MEI.html. Data for the month of September 2007 will be released on October 4, 2007. About the Monster Employment Index Launched in April 2004 with data collected since October 2003, the Monster Employment Index is a broad and comprehensive monthly analysis of U.S. online job demand conducted by Monster Worldwide, Inc. Based on a real-time review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from more than 1,500 Web sites, including a variety of corporate career sites, job boards and Monster, the Monster Employment Index presents a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity nationwide. All of the data and findings in the Monster Employment Index have been validated for their accuracy through independent, third party auditing conducted on a monthly basis by Research America, Inc. The audit validates the accuracy of the online job recruitment activity measured within a margin of error of +/- 1.05%. About Monster Worldwide Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), parent company of Monster®, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to bring people together to advance their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq 100. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at www.monsterworldwide.com. 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