CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index Reaches 2-Year Peak

CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index Reaches 2-Year Peak

Louisville, Hartford and Memphis Show Hiring Gains

The new March 2011 CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index rose to its highest level since January 2008, reaching 109.5 points, a 5.2 point gain over last month and a 65.4 point gain over March 2009. The Index, which measures managerial hiring activity online, has shown gradual growth since December 2010.

“It is heartening to see sustained hiring activity over the past few months,” says Jay Martin, COO, JobSerf. “There were 2.5 times as many jobs in March as there were a year ago."

Louisville, with a 15% gain, was the leader in job growth this month, followed by Hartford (+9%) and Memphis (+8%). San Francisco, Detroit, and Nashville each showed modest gains of 6% in March.

Hiring activity stalled in some cities with losses of -8% in Los Angeles, -6% in Miami, and -5% in Minneapolis, Atlanta, San Diego and Riverside.

“Hiring activity saw a major upswing this month, and we’re hopeful it’s a sign that we’ve really turned the corner,” says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerCast.com. “Our Index is mirroring other reports being released about the state of the job market, which is very good news for managerial candidates looking for new jobs.”

The CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index per capita hiring levels for U.S. cities in March are:

1. Washington, DC – 163

2. Boston – 140

3. San Francisco – 127

4. Seattle – 106

5. Atlanta – 86

6. New York City - 81

7. Baltimore – 80

8. Chicago – 79

9. Denver – 74

10. Philadelphia - 67

11. Cleveland – 66

12. Nashville – 66

13. Dallas – 63

14. Hartford – 62

15. Louisville - 62

16. Milwaukee – 59

17. Pittsburgh – 57

18. Minneapolis – 56

19. San Diego – 56

20. Houston – 54

21. Indianapolis – 51

22. Cincinnati – 50

23. St. Louis – 50

24. Phoenix - 49

25. Miami – 46

26. Los Angeles - 45

27. Tampa– 44

28. Memphis – 40

29. Detroit – 36

30. Riverside – 20

The CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index is an exclusive barometer showing managerial hiring activity based on the number of jobs posted online nationally. The Index reveals the differences in job listings by month, and offers valuable trends and forecasts using proprietary employment data hand-counted by a team of researchers.

To read the full report and get more information on the best and worst cities to find a job, visit www.careercast.com/career-guidance/employment-trends