Dip in Online Recruitment in the UK in June, According to the Monster Employment Index
June 2008 Highlights:
· Online hiring activity decreased moderately in the UK in June, following a slight rebound in May
· The marketing, PR and media sector registered the steepest decline while job availability in the sales sector dipped for the fourth consecutive month
· Opportunities increased significantly in hospitality and tourism; and healthcare, social work whilst the arts, entertainment, sports, leisure sector surged year-on-year
· Among occupational groups, opportunities for craft and related workers declined most in the month and during the second quarter
· Regionally, online hiring in Wales, Scotland and North England dipped furthest while London and the South West decreased for the fourth successive month
Overview
The Monster Employment Index UK decreased by four points in June to reach a level of 177, seven points higher than a year ago but 15 points short of its February peak. Hiring in the marketing, PR and media sector fell most, while there was a strong upturn in demand for hospitality and tourism workers.
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 the UK, including Monster.co.uk.
Index results for the past 13 months are as follows:
Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun
08 08 08 08 08 08 07 07 07 07 07 07 07
177 181 179 187 192 160 174 169 160 162 167 165 170
“This is the third time in four months that the UK Index has dropped and the first time in three years that overall demand declined in June. Confidence in the UK economy is falling among consumers and businesses alike, and employers have responded by scaling back on hiring,” commented Hugo Sellert, Head of Economic Research, Monster Worldwide. “Still, the availability of jobs online is significantly higher than last year, and demand remains elevated in both manufacturing and parts of the service sector”.
Demand in marketing, PR and media drops most
Online hiring in the marketing, PR and media sector fell by 28 points in June, following moderate growth in May. The largest drop was seen among legislators, senior officials and managers, but there were also notably fewer opportunities for professionals; and technicians and associate professionals. Demand fell across most regions, with East Anglia the worst affected. Although online job availability in this sector is now at its lowest since November 2007, year-on-year growth remains 18 points, or 10%.
Opportunities for workers in the engineering sector also fell sharply, offsetting growth in May. The decline was led by reduced hiring of professionals. Demand dropped in most regions, with Scotland registering the largest decrease. Despite this downturn, year-on-year growth was 50 points, or 34%.
By contrast, the hospitality and tourism sector grew by 28 points, as online hiring increased for the third month in a row. There were considerably increased opportunities for both service workers and shop and market sales workers; and legislators, senior officials and managers. Regionally, the South East reported the largest increase. Year-on-year growth was 60 points, or 43%.
Significant fall in online hiring of craft and related workers
Online job availability for craft and related workers fell sharply in June, shedding the territory gained in May. The decline was driven by fewer opportunities in the production, manufacturing, maintenance, repair; and construction, extraction sectors. Regionally, the biggest dip was in Wales, while hiring fell in North England and the South West for the third month in a row. Year-on-year growth was 29 points, or 12%.
There was also a marked decrease in hiring of professionals in June, due in part to a strong decline in the public sector, defence, community sector. Demand also fell significantly in the management and consulting; construction and extraction; and sales sectors. Contrastingly, hiring of professionals increased in some industries, including banking, finance and insurance. Regionally, the South East saw the sharpest decrease and demand continued to decline in London and the South West for the third consecutive month. Year-on-year growth was 55 points, or 33%.
Wales and Scotland dip furthest
Wales fell by 11 Index points in June, following a slight increase in May. This decline was driven by a third straight monthly fall in hiring in the environment, architecture and urbanism; and sales sectors. By contrast, accounting, audit, taxes; banking, finance, insurance; and hospitality and tourism showed some recovery after dips in May. Among occupational groups, there were significant declines among craft and related workers; plant and machine operators and assemblers; and elementary occupations. Year-on-year demand in the region rose by 18 points, or 8%.
Online hiring also decreased in Scotland, for the third straight month. There was considerably less demand in the banking, finance, insurance; education, training and library; public sector, defence, community; and engineering sectors. Job availability dropped furthest for skilled agricultural and fishery workers.
Online recruitment rose by 17 points in Northern Ireland after two successive months of decline. There were strong increases in the accounting, audit, taxes; research and development; banking, finance, insurance; and construction and extraction sectors. Of the occupational groups, hiring of professionals grew most. Year-on-year growth was 18 points, or 12%.
Top Industries Looking for Employees in June
Industries showing the greatest rate of increase in online job availability in June included:
Industry Jun May Apr
08 08 08
Hospitality and tourism 200 172 158
Education, training and library 204 188 162
Healthcare, social work 182 168 140
Accounting, audit, taxes 145 137 128
Transport, post and logistics 180 172 160
Most Wanted Occupational Categories in June
Occupational categories registering most significant increases in online job demand in June included:
Occupation Jun May Apr
08 08 08
Service workers and shop and market sales workers 161 139 142
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers 230 220 195
Elementary occupations 101 100 100
Monster Employment Index UK findings across industry sectors for the past 13 months are as follows:
Industry Jun 08 May 08 Apr 08 Mar 08 Feb 08 Jan 08 Dec 07 Nov 07 Oct 07 Sep 07 Aug 07 Jul 07 Jun 07
Accounting, audit, taxes 145 137 128 131 142 118 122 111 113 119 123 121 122
Administrative, organisation 203 204 220 212 220 182 199 192 204 188 195 181 209
Arts, entertainment, sports, leisure 197 198 194 201 191 182 201 195 163 180 172 137 131
Banking, finance, insurance 162 166 189 178 168 152 178 157 177 149 158 173 210
Construction and extraction 157 167 155 179 174 156 161 176 163 147 153 146 141
Education, training and library 204 188 162 180 195 167 192 192 166 141 139 152 143
Engineering 197 211 199 218 206 166 180 177 161 153 165 160 147
Environment, architecture and urbanism 219 232 217 252 235 195 218 203 203 163 175 169 155
Healthcare, social work 182 168 140 185 202 156 176 196 182 177 183 182 171
Hospitality and tourism 200 172 158 141 148 130 133 139 144 134 131 141 140
HR 193 188 175 198 233 193 201 196 189 193 200 187 183
IT 120 126 130 138 150 130 127 125 114 117 124 132 125
Legal 221 232 220 234 196 204 229 210 185 186 195 201 248
Management and consulting 240 236 215 235 242 200 192 184 178 186 185 177 198
Marketing, PR and media 204 232 223 238 241 209 221 198 185 178 185 181 186
Production, manufacturing, maintenance, Repair 124 117 110 115 121 114 109 112 107 112 114 113 106
Public Sector, defence, community 101 104 97 108 109 98 102 107 102 100 99 101 96
Research and development 160 156 154 171 181 146 143 136 134 145 142 129 141
Sales 142 149 153 156 158 129 142 141 136 173 171 170 179
Telecommunication 98 106 115 122 112 110 120 134 122 116 119 119 123
Transport, post and logistics 180 172 160 158 159 136 149 140 139 143 142 133 127
Monster Employment Index UK findings across occupational categories for the past 13 months are as follows:
Occupation Jun 08 May 08 Apr 08 Mar 08 Feb 08 Jan 08 Dec 07 Nov 07 Oct 07 Sept 07 Aug 07 Jul 07 Jun 07
Legislators, senior officials and managers 157 164 161 167 161 133 148 148 142 167 166 164 168
Professionals 182 191 188 201 202 173 185 178 165 168 174 178 180
Technicians and associate professionals 168 167 170 173 175 150 165 150 153 144 151 150 164
Clerks 165 166 159 164 172 141 146 158 148 157 157 137 136
Service workers and shop and market sales workers 161 139 142 162 155 132 145 147 143 138 140 143 142
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers 230 220 195 208 197 199 160 190 153 158 137 141 147
Craft and related workers 275 307 273 307 322 299 292 294 257 297 299 272 246
Plant and machine operators and assemblers 127 122 109 123 129 113 114 161 129 114 113 115 112
Elementary occupations 101 100 100 100 94 119 121 89 88 87 87 87 101
Monster Employment Index UK findings across UK regions for the past 13 months are as follows:
Region Jun 08 May 08 Apr 08 Mar 08 Feb 08 Jan 08 Dec 07 Nov 07 Oct 07 Sept 07 Aug 07 Jul 07 Jun 07
Midlands 189 186 180 197 209 168 183 177 172 170 176 171 168
North England 194 202 196 199 210 168 187 183 171 172 178 168 176
London 145 146 147 152 155 142 147 146 140 142 145 144 150
South East 133 135 134 137 137 126 132 132 127 127 128 129 135
South West 287 290 291 301 308 264 286 264 250 266 281 266 221
Wales 234 245 241 266 273 231 232 207 209 213 220 211 216
Scotland 167 175 177 197 187 147 160 142 146 156 161 162 150
East Anglia 153 155 147 185 193 164 172 163 159 166 174 177 175
Northern Ireland 164 147 163 173 175 149 166 135 137 151 129 142 146
Monster Employment Index UK for July will be released on August 12, 2008.
