Online Labor Demand Dips 45,000 in May but Upward Trend Remains Strong

NEW YORK, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Online advertised vacancies dipped 45,700 in May to 4,714,800, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) Data Series released today. The Supply/Demand rate stands at 2.6 unemployed for every vacancy. In May the number of unemployed was 7.7 million above the number of advertised vacancies compared to 10 million above in the fall of 2011.

"After rising 564,000 over the last five months, labor demand dipped in May. Despite this drop, strong employer demand has created growing opportunities for both job-changers and the unemployed and has also helped significantly lower the unemployment rate," said June Shelp, Vice President at The Conference Board. In May over half of the 50 States are now posting advertised vacancies that are above their pre-recession highs. The largest gains were in the Midwest with Michigan up 53 percent from its pre-recession high. Other Midwestern States with increases above 40 percent include North Dakota (46%), Indiana (44%), and Ohio (41%).

The release schedule, national historic table and technical notes to this series are available on The Conference Board website, http://www.conference-board.org/data/helpwantedonline.cfm. The underlying data for The Conference Board HWOL are provided by Wanted Technologies Corporation.

REGIONAL AND STATE HIGHLIGHTS

Changes for the Month of May

Online labor demand in the Midwest rose by 7,800 in May. Among the region's larger States, only Illinois was up in May by 8,100, for a combined three-month gain of 13,400. Missouri dropped by 2,000; Minnesota, by 1,900; and Wisconsin, by 1,300. Demand was also down slightly in Michigan (1,200) and Ohio (300). Among the smaller Midwest States, South Dakota gained 1,100, North Dakota rose 400, and Indiana gained 300, while Kansas dipped 100.

Online labor demand in the Northeast rose by 6,300 in May. Massachusetts rose 2,200 for a six-month gain of 14,100. New York rose 2,100 in May and has been up 20,400 over the past four months, with strong gains in Buffalo (up 15.6 percent), Rochester (up 13.5 percent), and the New York metro area (up 5.4 percent). Demand in Pennsylvania remained constant. New Jersey fell 700. Among the smaller States in the Northeast, demand dropped by 900 in both Rhode Island and Maine, by 800 in New Hampshire, and by 200 in Connecticut.

Online labor demand in the West fell by 30,400 in May. California, the largest State in population, declined 19,400, reflecting declines in advertised vacancies in all six of its largest metropolitan areas. Labor demand in Washington fell 1,200. Arizona and Colorado both lost 900. Among the smaller States in the region, Utah rose 1,100, while Oregon lost 1,500 and Nevada fell 100.

Online labor demand in the South fell by 21,400 in May. The region saw losses in four out of its six largest States: Maryland fell by 8,900; North Carolina, by 4,200; Virginia, by 1,400; and Florida, by 200. Georgia gained 600 and Texas remained constant. Among the smaller States in the South, South Carolina gained 600 and Louisiana gained 300 while Tennessee lost 1,500 and Arkansas lost 200.

The Supply/Demand rate for the U.S. in April (the latest month for which the national unemployment number is available) stands at 2.63, indicating that there are about two and two thirds unemployed workers for every online advertised vacancy. Nationally, there are 7.7 million more unemployed workers than advertised vacancies.

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Online Labor Demand Dips 45,000 in May but Upward Trend Remains Strong