The War for Talent is on: Monster Identifies the Hottest Markets for Job Seekers

MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As workers approach 2011 with newfound optimism, Monster.com®, the leading job matching engine and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), identified not just the hottest markets for job seekers but also some of the hottest occupations within those markets for 2011.

“Within the markets we identified as prime spots for seekers, the hottest jobs fell largely within the IT and healthcare industries”

Monster developed the hot markets/hot jobs ranking based on the relative abundance of job openings for the given local workforce– the higher the rank, the more jobs available per person in the market. Accordingly, the following markets are where seekers are best positioned to enter the war for talent and win.

1. Washington, DC

2. San Francisco, CA

3. Boston, MA

4. Baltimore, MD

5. Seattle, WA

6. Minneapolis, MN

7. Cleveland, OH

8. Tampa, FL

9. Dallas, TX

10. Kansas City, MS

“Within the markets we identified as prime spots for seekers, the hottest jobs fell largely within the IT and healthcare industries,” commented Jesse Harriott, Senior Vice President and Chief Knowledge Officer for Monster Worldwide. “This is largely due to the economic recovery where communities across the nation are starting to spend more on things like IT infrastructure and other areas where they’d previously avoided spending on, for as long as possible. Meanwhile, healthcare has long been immune to the economic recession, especially given the skills shortage in that industry due to baby boomers’ retiring, taking those skills with them in the process.”

The highest growth occupations, as substantiated by the most recent Monster Employment Index (MEI), indicates that healthcare support and computer/mathematical occupations are indeed amongst the hottest jobs across the nation. These occupations include:

Computer and Mathematical (+14% YOY)
- IT Project Managers
- Database Administrators
- Computer SW Engineers
- Computer Support Specialists
- Computer and Information Scientists, Research
Healthcare Support (+14% YOY)
- Nursing Aides, Orderlies, and Attendants
- Occupational Therapist Assistants
- Dental Assistants
- Home Health Aides
- Pharmacy Aides

Aside from the overarching healthcare and IT industries where employers are scrambling to uncover the best talent, there were specific occupations that bubbled up in these markets that seekers should note, depending on which market they reside in. For example, while IT positions like computer systems analysts and web developers are more in demand in Washington DC, Boston and San Francisco; other hot jobs include retail, particularly in Kansas City and Cleveland; and physical/occupational therapists, particularly in Tampa.

“These findings very clearly point to a growing war for talent where certain industries are struck harder than others to find qualified candidates,” said Charles Purdy, career expert for Monster.com. “This is a positive indicator for job seekers where the power has eased a bit from the employer to the seeker. Now is the time for qualified candidates to make their move into a better and more challenging role. This will be quite a luxury for some seekers who have struggled to seek more inspiring work in the past year or two. For them, 2011 will become ‘their’ year for surpassing the status quo, propelling their career a step or two forward.”

About Monster Worldwide

Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to inspire people to improve their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 index. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at http://about-monster.com.