The Conference Board’s Experimental Help Wanted OnLine Index edged up to a reading of 102.0 in January from a reading of 101.6 in December. The Conference Board in December revised its report on online job ads to reflect a new methodology and universe of online job advertisements.

The index measures the change in ads relative to the base period (July 2018=100). An increase in the index is associated with an increase in job openings and hiring activity in the US economy.

“Unlike in 2016 where there was a clear drop in online job ads during the economic slowdown, the [Help Wanted Online] Index rose in January despite the current financial market turmoil,” said Gad Levanon, chief economist, North America, at The Conference Board. “This indicates a reduced likelihood of a major slowdown in the US economy.”

The Conference Board expects employment growth in the first half of 2019 to modestly slow down, and labor turnover rates to increase as the labor market tightens.

“Recruiters will continue to be busy replacing workers and filling new positions,” Levanon said.