Job ads posted online edged upward in July following a decrease in the prior month, according to The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine Index.  

The index rose by 0.3% in July to a reading of 161.9 (July 2018=100). The month-over-month increase follows a 0.4% decrease between June and May. However, the index level in July is still down 6.8% year over year. 

The index measures changes over time in advertised online job vacancies, reflecting monthly trends in employment across the US. It aggregates the total number of ads available by month. Data is collected from more than 50,000 online job domains, including traditional job boards, corporate boards, social media sites and smaller job sites that serve niche markets. 

On Monday, The Conference Board reported its Employment Trends Index had edged upward in July and the organization expects job growth to continue in the coming months, though at a slower pace.