Category: Financial
- Published: 09 February 2009
Monster Employment Index UK sees Further Decline at the Start of 2009
January 2009 Index Highlights:
· The UK Index dropped by 30 points in January. The current level of 111 represents the lowest reading on online job availability since May 2006
· This fall was the steepest annual decline on record in January, shrinking 31 percent or 49 points, indicating a further slump in employer demand
· The Index’s decline reflects sharply reduced opportunities in the environment, architecture and urbanism; construction and extraction; engineering; and administrative and organisation sectors. HR remained the weakest area for jobs, declining for the seventh consecutive month
· Despite the overall decline there was a surge in demand in the healthcare and social work sector, while education, training and library; and public sector, defence and community remained up year-on-year
· Demand eased across all occupational groups, with craft and related workers seeing the steepest fall
· Offerings declined in all UK regions in January. Northern Ireland and the South West showed the most notable monthly declines
Summary Overview
The Monster Employment Index UK decreased by 30 points in January, continuing the overall downtrend seen since February 2008. The drop was the third consecutive month of decline.Year-on-year, the Index was down 49 points, or 31 percent - the steepest slump on record - indicating continued slowdown in online recruitment activity at the start of 2009. Demand continued to decline in the HR sector for the seventh consecutive month. The healthcare and social work sector saw a large upturn in demand after a month of decline.
The Monster Employment Index Europe 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.
Monster Employment Index UK results for the past 13 months are as follows:
|
Jan
09
|
Dec
08
|
Nov
08
|
Oct
08
|
Sep
08
|
Aug
08
|
Jul
08
|
Jun
08
|
May
08
|
Apr
08
|
Mar
08
|
Feb
08
|
Jan
08
|
|
111
|
141
|
152
|
161
|
159
|
167
|
174
|
177
|
181
|
179
|
187
|
192
|
160
|
“The job market is an obvious casualty of the deepening recession. Online advertised vacancies reached a two-and–a-half-year low in January,” commented Hugo Sellert, head of economic research, at Monster Worldwide. “There are some bright spots though. Demand remains strong for healthcare, education and other public sector workers as government programmes work to offset private sector job losses.”
Environment, architecture and urbanism reaches a fifth month of decline
Online job demand in the environment, architecture and urbanism sector fell for the fifth consecutive month in January, reaching its lowest level on record, due in large to the fall in opportunities as a result of the housing crisis. Regionally, declines were most notable in Northern Ireland, London, the South East and the South West. Year-on-year, the sector showed a significant reduction in online job opportunities as the sector plummeted 121 points or 62 percent.
Education, training and library reversed three months of increased opportunities, declining 41 points in January. This decline was driven by slower demand for professionals, technicians and associate professionals. Online offerings slowed in Northern Ireland, London, the Midlands and North England. Annually the sector increased 48 points or 29 percent.
Engineering; and administrative and organisation both fell 45 points in January, representing the third consecutive month of decline for both sectors. Year-on-year the sectors saw a 14 percent and 52 percent decline respectively.
Job demand in the healthcare and social work sector bounced back in January, noting a large increase of 58 points. Opportunities for technicians and associate professionals and; professionals showed a notable recovery after the December slowdown. Job opportunities in Scotland showed the greatest rate of increase. Year-on-year the sector showed substantial gains increasing 165 points or 106 percent, the largest among industry sectors.
Job availability for craft and related workers continues to fall
Craft and related workers continued to a third month of decline, noting a 38 point fall. Major declines were seen in the production, manufacturing, maintenance and repair sector, the fourth month of decreasing demand. Reduced opportunities were seen across all regions. Year-on-year, demand fell 166 points, or 56 percent, the sharpest among all occupational groups.
Professionals also dropped for the third month, falling 34 points. Despite the overall decline in the sector, job availability saw an upturn in the healthcare and social work sector. Year-on-year, the group saw a 55 point or 32 percent fall in job availability.
Job opportunities for managers declined by 29 points in January – the third straight monthly decrease. The steepest decline was seen in the construction and extraction sector, the fifth consecutive month of decline. The sector declined 32 points, or 24 percent, annually.
Continued decline in the South West; Wales; and Northern Ireland
The South West experienced a sharp drop of 47 points in January, the third monthly dip in a row. As in December, the most notable decline was seen in the agriculture, fishing and forestry sector. In contrast, the region noted slight increases for workers in the education, training and library; healthcare, and social work; and public sector defence and community sectors. Demand fell across all occupational groups, with skilled agricultural and fishery workers dropping the most. Annually online job demand was down 88 points or 33 percent.
Northern Ireland saw a decline for the second month in a row, falling 47 points, reaching a 13-month low and 88 points below its peak in July 2008. Major declines were seen in the administrative and organisation; banking, finance and insurance; construction and extraction; and engineering sectors. The region dropped 53 points, or 36 percent year-on-year.
Wales dropped 32 points in January, also noting the third consecutive month of decline. The largest downturn in the region was in the agriculture, fishing and forestry sector. Increases were seen in the healthcare and social work and the public sector, defence and community sectors. Opportunities for elementary occupations and managers saw the largest decline. Year-on-year, the region saw a 52 point or 23 percent decline.
Top Industries Looking for Employees
Industries showing the greatest annual rate of increase in online job availability included:
|
Industry
|
Jan
09
|
Dec
08
|
Jan
08
|
|
Healthcare, social work
|
321
|
263
|
156
|
|
Education, training and library
|
215
|
256
|
167
|
|
Public sector, defence, community
|
103
|
108
|
98
|
Most Wanted Occupational Category
The occupational category registering most significant annual increase in online job demand:
|
Occupation
|
Jan
09
|
Dec
08
|
Jan
08
|
|
Skilled agricultural and fishery workers
|
195
|
209
|
187
|
