Feb 09 2009
Popularity of job search sites soars in recession
According to comScore, more Americans are searching for jobs online than ever before. In fact, job search is the fastest growing category online, faster even than social networks. People have been using the internet to advertise jobs across various sectors for years now, with most companies choosing to supplement print ads with online job postings. These days there is a growing tendency to forsake print advertising and to focus more on online advertising.
The findings published by comScore, underline the business savvy behind this strategy and should propel any techno-laggers online. In the US, job searches grew by 51% between December 2007 and December 2008 with a total of 18.8 million people flocking to online job sites. In fact, the last quarter of 2008, particularly December, saw the highest level of growth, when traditionally it’s a period of cooling down, or as comScore refers to it “seasonal softness”.
Jack Flanagan, executive president of comScore, says, “While much of the U.S. economy is suffering, one online category that has performed significantly better than average during these challenging times is job search. Online job search resources provide a vital service to those in need of new job prospects and opportunities, and Americans are turning online for this assistance now more than ever.”
Demographically speaking, the number of women searching for jobs online grew by 7.2%, which according to Flanagan either means that they are disproportionately affected by job loss during the recession, or they are playing a more prominent role in helping their partners find jobs. Also, the group aged 25-49 grew by 4.8%, households with an income exceeding $75,000 (£50,809) per year grew by 3.1% and childless households grew by 4.7%. Searches by men, the under 24 and over 50 age-groups, those with children and households with an annual income less than $75,000 all decreased in comparison to December 2007.
While the figures based on studies in the US, there is no reason to suppose that the situation is much different in the UK, where it is estimated that 600,000 people will lose their jobs in 2009. It seems pretty obvious then that the smart choice is to move job advertising online and focus less on offline media.
