New Jobs, Says Monster Employment Index

With newspapers and other informational sources constantly commenting on the economic recession, many have feared that new jobs simply aren’t on the way. When employers are struggling to keep their head’s above water and the jobless rate keep rising, it’s hard to believe that there are opportunities out there, which can be very disheartening for job seekers.

Despite all this, Monster Worldwide Inc. says that employers did create new jobs in August. According one of the company’s most recent press releases, its employment index rose two points from 157 in July to 159 in August.

According to Monster, the slight rise was due at least in part to new jobs being offered by utilities companies and in the arts, entertainment and recreation industry.

“Employers are now stepping up their online recruitment efforts in preparation for the fall hiring season but activity in the job market remains muted compared to a year ago,” said Jesse Harriott, who is a vice president

Although employers are apparently offering more new jobs than in the previous months, the statistics are down 14.5 percent when compared to the same time last year.

Still, the index showed that new jobs were posted online in 14 of the 20 industries that are monitored. In addition to this, 13 of the 23 occupations that Monster looks at also increased in number. Jobs posted online increased in seven of the nine U.S. census regions. The West and North Central areas showed the highest number of new jobs.

The report came out slightly before the ADP National Employment report, which is expected to show that the private sector did away with approximately 30,000 jobs in August. Also to soon be released is the U.S. Labor Department’s report on weekly initial claims for jobless benefits. According to a Reuters poll of economists, this report will likely show that 425,000 new claimants received benefits this week, which is the same as the previous week.