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IT recruitment took a hit in December, as demand for computer and mathematical occupations plunged 15 points in an employment index released monthly by Monster Worldwide, the New York-based online recruitment site.
The 15-point drop was attributed in part to a reduced online job availability of IT, software development and computer services positions, the first drop since July.
However, the category is still in good shape, Monster says, as the category had shown strong upward growth over the year and was 26 points higher than in December 2005.
A full 21 of the 23 occupational categories tracked by Monster showed reduced online job availability in December. Protective services, down 18 points, took the biggest hit, followed by office and administrative support (down 12 points) and business and financial operations (down 8 points), which fell more than anticipated.
Most blue-collar categories also declined, but more in line with seasonal expectations.
Across all nine U.S. regions, online job demand slipped in December, according to the report, led by the Pacific region, which dropped 11 points due to weak job creation in Southern California.
The overall employment index declined eight points in December, but according to Monster, it reflected an anticipated year-end season slowdown in recruitment, typical of the final month of the year.