Further Dip in Online Recruitment in March, According to Monster Employment Index UK

March 2009 Index Highlights:
• The UK Index fell by seven points in March as online demand dropped from the seasonally-elevated level seen in February
• Year-on-year, the Index fell by 41%, or 77 points. This is the fifth straight month that the Index has fallen on a yearly basis
• In March, the dip was driven by fewer job opportunities in the legal; marketing; and healthcare sectors
• Online recruitment activity increased most for education workers and the sector showed positive year-on-year growth. Opportunities in production also grew in March
• Demand fell for most occupational groups, with skilled agricultural workers; professionals; and craft and related workers hit hardest
• The majority of UK regions suffered a decline. Scotland experienced the greatest decline; all regions saw an annual fall in demand

Summary Overview
The Monster Employment Index UK decreased by seven points in March, reversing the seasonal increase in online recruitment seen in February. Year-on-year, the Index was down 77 points, or 41 percent – the steepest annual decline on record. This drop was driven by fewer job opportunities in the legal; marketing, PR, media; and healthcare and social work sectors. By contrast, there was growth in hiring of workers in education, training and library; and production, manufacturing, maintenance. 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:

“Overall, online recruitment in the UK has fallen once again,” commented Hugo Sellert, head of economic research, at Monster Worldwide. “There is cause for optimism however, in some sectors. Hiring of education and production workers rose in March and healthcare has shown encouraging annual growth.”

Demand lowers for marketing, PR, media workers
Online job demand in the marketing, PR, media sector fell in March, offsetting growth in February. Of the occupational groups, opportunities for managers declined most. Regionally, hiring fell furthest in London and the South East. Year-on-year, job availability was down 117 points, or 49%.

Job availability in the healthcare, social work sector fell for the second month in succession. Online demand fell most for professionals. Regionally, there were drops in demand in the Midlands, North England and the South East in March. Year-on-year, though, demand was up 106 points, or 57%.

The education, training, library sector demonstrated the strongest monthly growth among all sectors for the second straight month. This growth was principally driven by increased demand for professionals. Hiring in the sector grew in all UK regions with the exception of London. Year-on-year, availability increased by 87 points, or 48%.

Demand decreases for craft and related workers
Of all occupational groups, hiring of craft and related workers was hit hardest in March. Demand fell, reversing the substantial seasonal rise seen in February. Year-on-year, hiring has declined 159 points, or 52%.

Job availability for service and sales workers also dropped in March and demand is approaching the occupation’s record Index low, despite strong growth in February. This latest monthly decline stems from decreased demand in the service sectors in the UK, such as hospitality and tourism; and retail. Year-on-year, demand has declined 83 points, or 51%.

By contrast, there was a solid increase in demand for elementary occupations in March. This was largely due to openings in the production and manufacturing sector across all UK regions. Year-on-year, however, demand has decreased 29 points, or 29%.

Scotland and the Midlands fall furthest as all regions drop
Scotland fell by 14 Index points in March, offsetting seasonal growth in job availability in February. This decline was caused by fewer regional job opportunities for clerks; and professionals in the engineering; healthcare, social work; and banking, finance, insurance sectors. Year-on-year, demand declined 97 points, or 49% – the largest annual regional drop. 

Online job opportunities in the Midlands also fell in March, reflecting a recent rise in unemployment in the region. Year-on-year, online recruitment in the Midlands fell by 95 points, or 48%.

Hiring in London fell by four Index points in March – the eleventh monthly decrease in the last year. Job availability fell most in the engineering; HR; marketing, PR and media; and IT sectors. Of the occupational groups, managers; and professionals saw the steepest falls in demand.

Top Industries Looking for Employees
Industries showing the greatest monthly rate of increase in online job availability included:

Most Wanted Occupational Category
The occupational category registering most significant monthly increase in online job demand:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across industry sectors for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK findings across occupational categories for the past 13 months are as follows:

Monster Employment Index UK for April will be released on May 12, 2009.

About The Monster Employment Index Europe
The Monster Employment Index Europe provides monthly insight into online recruitment trends across the European Union. Launched in June 2005 with data from December 2004, the Index is based on a review of millions of employer job opportunities culled from a large, representative selection of corporate career sites and job boards, including Monster. The Monster Employment Index’s underlying data is validated for accuracy by Research America, Inc. – an independent, third-party auditing firm – to ensure that measured online job recruitment activity is within a margin of error of +/- 1.05%.

The Index monitors online job opportunities across all European Union member countries.

The monthly reports for Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Europe are available at: http://corporate.monster.com/Press_Room/MEI_EU.asp.

About Monster Worldwide
Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to inspire people to improve 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. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at http://corporate.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/A and other filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which discussions are incorporated in this release by reference.

CONTACTS:
Charlie Meredith-Hardy
Weber Shandwick
+44 (0)20 7067 0647
cmeredith-hardy@webershandwick.com