Number Of Jobs Advertised Online Soars In JanuaryNumber Of Jobs Advertised Online Soars In January

The number of jobs advertised online increased dramatically in January, due in part to a sharp increase in demand for white-collar workers in finance and legal services, IT and office and administrative support, Monster Worldwide Inc. reported Thursday.

The Monster Employment index rose six points from December to 151, rebounding from a strong seasonal slowdown during the last month of last year.

Steve Pogorzelski, group president for international at Monster, said the job strength provided "an encouraging sign that the U.S. labor market is continuing to expand as we begin 2006."

"The index's eight-point increase over the past three months strongly suggests that employers are continuing to hire new workers, so they can further grow their businesses in the New Year, " he said.

Demand for jobs increased across all regions of the nation, with the largest gain reported in area of hurricane Katrina reconstruction efforts, the online employment service said. Overall, the number of jobs listed online increased in 12 of 20 industries during the month, with strong growth also found in transportation and warehousing, manufacturing and educational services.

The rise in demand for white-collar workers indicated a more optimistic business sector and a tightening job market for corporate professionals, Monster said. Overall, online job demand increased in 22 of 24 occupational categories in January.