NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 2005--Monster Worldwide, Inc.
(NASDAQ: MNST):
- Eleven Other Markets Remain Flat, but Still at Highest Levels,
Demonstrating Continued Strength in Local Online Recruitment
Activity
- Broad Demand for Military, Protective Service, Engineering,
IT, Legal, and Production Workers Drives Online Hiring Growth
in November
- Houston Registers Largest Rate of Increase, Reflecting
Intensified Reconstruction Efforts; Minneapolis Extends
Six-Month Upward Growth Trend
Online recruitment activity and related employment opportunities
increased in 12 of the top 28 U.S. metropolitan areas in November,
according to the latest findings of the Monster Local Employment
Index. Houston and Phoenix saw the greatest rate of increase in online
hiring activity during the month, while Minneapolis continued a
six-month upward growth trend in online job demand. Eleven other
markets remained unchanged from their record highs in October,
demonstrating ample online job availability, driven by continued
strong demand for workers in the military, protective service,
engineering, IT, legal, and manufacturing areas.
Online job availability for military-related occupations rose in
24 local markets during November, indicating higher demand for workers
in the aerospace and defense industries, and stepped up online
recruitment activity by the U.S. Armed Forces, as the Department of
Defense now aims to sign up 180,000 new recruits a year. Online
opportunities for protective service workers also increased,
reflecting higher demand for workers in homeland security functions
(airports, ports, and nuclear power plants), greater investments in
IT/network security and seasonal hiring of additional security
personnel around holiday events.
Eighteen of 28 markets registered significantly higher online
recruitment activity in the manufacturing sector during the month,
reflecting further improved conditions in the sector overall despite
continued weakness in the automotive industry. Demand for production
workers soared in a number of metro areas, rising five points or more
in Houston, Baltimore, Dallas, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Sacramento.
Online opportunities for engineering and IT professionals also
continued an upward growth trend across most markets, indicating a
steadily improving hiring outlook for workers with strong technical
skills, and a continued up-tick in investment within the
aerospace/defense and IT/computing sectors.
Of the 28 markets, Houston and Phoenix registered the sharpest
increases in online job demand in November, each rising three points,
while Baltimore, Los Angeles and Orlando added two points during the
month. Seven markets edged up one point, including Minneapolis, which
extended a six-month growth trend, and is now the only market that has
grown every month since the inception of the Index. Eleven markets
remained unchanged during the month, but held steady at high levels of
online hiring activity, while five markets saw slight to moderate
declines. Atlanta, Boston, Portland and Washington, D.C. each dipped
one point, while Miami fell two points.
"The November findings of the Monster Local Employment Index show
continued strength in online recruitment activity across the majority
of U.S. major metro markets, with encouraging demand for workers in
industries, such as IT and manufacturing, that are key barometers for
the health of the U.S. economy," said Steve Pogorzelski, Group
President, International at Monster Worldwide. "Compared to the sharp
gains registered in October, the flatness in eleven markets points to
what is likely a relatively mild end-of-year slowdown, as employers
wrapped-up their temporary, holiday-related hiring. Nevertheless, most
markets remained at their highest levels to date. Encouraging
increases in Houston and Dallas suggest a strengthening Texas labor
market as reconstruction efforts along the Gulf Coast intensify."
During November, online job demand rose sharply in the Houston
metro area, reflecting higher demand for workers involved in the
post-hurricane relief and reconstruction efforts, the area's booming
energy sector and improvements in the southeastern Texas economy.
Phoenix remained the fastest-growing metro area, having jumped 12
points over the past six months on high demand for sales; office and
administration; IT and engineering occupations. Online job
availability in Baltimore, Los Angeles and Orlando all showed solid
increases, suggesting strengthened demand for workers, while
Minneapolis edged higher for the sixth consecutive month driven by a
greater number of online opportunities in management, construction and
military occupations. Miami saw the sharpest decline during the month,
dipping two points possibly due to the adverse impacts of the recent
hurricane season.
Overall results for the top 28 U.S. metro markets over the past
seven months are as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Market NOV 05 OCT 05 SEPT 05 AUG 05 JUL 05 JUN 05 MAY 05
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Atlanta 105 106 104 103 101 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Baltimore 107 105 103 101 100 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston 104 105 104 101 100 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago 104 104 102 100 99 99 101
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cincinnati 106 106 106 104 102 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleveland 101 101 103 102 99 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dallas 104 103 100 100 99 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Denver 108 107 106 104 101 102 98
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Detroit 108 108 107 103 104 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Houston 105 102 100 100 100 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Indianapolis 104 104 101 100 98 99 101
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Kansas City 103 103 102 101 101 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles 107 105 103 102 100 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Miami 101 103 103 101 98 102 98
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Minneapolis 109 108 107 106 102 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
New York City 104 103 102 102 99 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Orlando 100 98 100 100 99 104 96
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Philadelphia 104 104 102 101 100 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Phoenix 112 109 106 104 101 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pittsburgh 107 106 104 103 101 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Portland 106 107 104 103 100 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Sacramento 105 104 101 101 99 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
San Diego 109 108 106 104 100 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
San Francisco 105 105 103 102 100 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Seattle 108 108 107 106 102 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
St. Louis 104 104 102 101 100 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tampa 105 105 102 102 99 100 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington, D.C. 104 105 103 102 102 101 99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The December 2005 results of the Monster Local Employment Index
will be released on January 23, 2006.
About the Monster Local Employment Index
Providing a broad, comprehensive monthly analysis of online job
demand in the top 28 U.S. metro markets, the Monster Local Employment
Index is an extension of the national Monster Employment Index, which
is compiled each month by researchers at Monster Worldwide, Inc.
(NASDAQ: MNST), parent company of the leading global online career and
recruitment resource, Monster(R). Based on a real-time review of
millions of employer job opportunities culled from more than 1,500 Web
sites, including Monster(R), the Monster Local Employment Index
presents a snapshot of employer online recruitment activity in the top
28 U.S. markets with the largest working populations.
The Index counts job postings as an indicator of employer demand
for employees or, in other words, job availability. Job postings are
online advertisements placed by an employer looking to fill one or
more vacant, or recently created, job positions. All of the data and
findings have been validated for accuracy through independent, monthly
third party auditing conducted by ARC Research of Cranford, New
Jersey. Individual Index reports containing September data for each of
the 28 metro markets, as well as additional information on
occupational demand in each area, are now available at
http://LocaleIndex.monsterworldwide.com.
About Monster Worldwide
Founded in 1967, Monster Worldwide, Inc. is the parent company of
Monster(R), the leading global online careers and recruitment
resource. The company also owns TMP Worldwide, one of the world's
largest Recruitment Advertising agency networks. Headquartered in New
York with approximately 4,800 employees in 26 countries, Monster
Worldwide (NASDAQ: MNST) is a member of the S&P 500 Index. More
information about Monster Worldwide is available at
www.monsterworldwide.com.
About Monster
Monster(R) is the leading global online careers and recruitment
resource. A division of Monster Worldwide, Monster was founded in 1994
and is headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts, USA. Monster has 26
local language and content sites in 24 countries worldwide. Monster is
known for connecting quality job seekers at all levels with leading
employers across all industries and offers employers innovative
technology and superior services that give them more control over the
recruiting process. More information is available at www.monster.com
or by calling 1-800-MONSTER. To learn more about Monster's
industry-leading employer products and services, please visit
http://recruiter.monster.com.
Special Note: Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Except for historical information
contained herein, the statements made in this release constitute
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and
uncertainties, including statements regarding Monster Worldwide,
Inc.'s strategic direction, prospects and future results. Certain
factors, including factors outside of Monster Worldwide's control, may
cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the
forward- looking statements, including economic and other conditions
in the markets in which Monster Worldwide operates, risks associated
with acquisitions, competition, seasonality and the other risks
discussed in Monster Worldwide's Form 10-K and other filings made with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are
incorporated in this release by reference.
CONTACT: General Information:
David Rosa, 212-351-7067
david.rosa@monsterworldwide.com
OR
Media Inquiries:
Lauren McDonald, 617-520-7116
lmcdonald@webershandwick.com
OR
Weber Shandwick
Christian Harper, 212-445-8135
charper@webershandwick.com
SOURCE: Monster Worldwide, Inc.
