Steve Pogorzelski Demand Quotations

The January findings of the Monster Local Employment Index show that eight major U.S. markets rebounded from a seasonal slowdown in recruitment in December, indicating increased online hiring activity due to higher demand for workers. The national Index findings for January were clearly consistent with other labor and economic indicators pointing to solid employment growth at the outset of 2006, so overall, this year's labor market appears to be off to another strong start.

The surge in the Monster Local Employment Index in February suggests a healthy and confident business climate across all major metro areas in the U.S., with particularly strong growth amongst markets in the West and South. The first quarter of the year is clearly off to a solid start with the Index results showing strong, broad growth in employer demand for workers.

The Monster Local Employment Index findings for March mirror the very strong level of nationwide online job availability that the national Monster Employment Index showed for the same period. The broad growth in employer demand measured across nearly all of the top cities in the country is another positive sign of U.S. labor market strength in the first quarter of 2006. The Index is also showing a greater number of online opportunities within the business and healthcare sectors, which are key indicators of the health of the U.S. economy.

Overall, the U.S. labor market is off to a very solid start in 2006 as strong business fundamentals continue to boost employer demand for workers, creating more job opportunities and driving the unemployment rate down to well below 5 percent. Demand for workers in the U.S. remains elevated at the outset of the year, while the online migration of help-wanted advertising continues at a rapid pace. The Index's findings for February clearly indicate greater confidence among employers throughout much of the country, largely due to the underlying strength of the economy. This is encouraging news for job seekers and bodes well for this year's class of college graduates as they begin their search for employment.

The broad growth in employer demand measured across nearly all of the top cities in the country is another positive sign of U.S. labor strength in the first quarter of 2006. The Monster Index is also showing a greater number of online opportunities within the business and healthcare sectors, which are key indicators of the health of the U.S. economy.