Online recruitment activity continues to fall

Online recruitment activity continued to fall in July, according to the latest figures from the Monster Employment Index.

The index fell by three points to 174 last month, following a four-point drop in June. The legal sector experienced the biggest decline in activity, falling by 45 points.

But demand rose significantly in hospitality and tourism, and the healthcare and social work sector rose by 31 points, as online hiring increased for the third consecutive month.

"The UK economy continues to slow and the outlook for the rest of 2008 looks gloomy, meaning tougher conditions in the labour market," said Hugo Sellert, head of economic research at Monster Worldwide.

"Given this backdrop, it is not surprising that online recruitment is now moderating, with fewer job offerings than a year ago in areas such as finance, retail and technology."

The Monster Employment Index is a monthly analysis of millions of online job opportunities across a range of career sites and jobs boards across the UK.