Transportation Hiring Slips in August, Monster Says

Hiring in transportation and warehousing slowed in August, according to Monster Worldwide, as the hiring and recruitment specialist's U.S. employment index dropped slightly from July.

The index shows that while the job scene is much stronger than a year ago, most industries are not yet expanding their workforce in the economic recovery.

All 28 metropolitan areas tracked by the index showed "positive" annual growth in hiring in August, however, with the index rising 12 percent year-over-year.

Month-to-month, though, the index dropped 2 points in August to 136, down 3.5 percent from June, when it peaked after climbing 23.7 percent since January.

The index, launched in 2004, is based on millions of job listings culled from corporate career Web sites and job boards, including Monster.com.

The 12 percent year-over-year gain in August was the seventh consecutive monthly increase for the index, which tracks 20 industries and 23 occupational categories.

Manufacturing, transportation and warehousing hiring registered some slowdown in annual growth rates in August compared with July, Monster said.

That suggests caution is informing employers' short-term hiring decisions, said Jesse Harriott, Monster's senior vice president and chief knowledge officer.

Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction hiring grew 56 percent in August year-over-year, while health care and social assistance recruitment grew 19 percent.

The energy utilities industry increased hiring 26 percent in August year over year, compared with 23 percent in July, to meet demand for specialized workers.

-- Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com.