The Conference Board’s Experimental Help Wanted OnLine Index rose to a reading of 101.7 in December from a reading of 99.3 in November. The Conference Board last month 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.

“December’s increase in the [Help Wanted OnLine Index] reversed the declines in October and November,” said Gad Levanon, chief economist, North America, at The Conference Board. “As of mid-December, the negative developments in financial markets show no signs of significantly impacting recruiting activity.”

Online job ads grew during 2017 and the first half of 2018 but then started to slow through December, according to Levanon.

“This supports our forecast of a moderate slowdown in 2019 GDP growth,” he said. “In periods of economic slowdown, the number of job ads tends to flatten or even moderately decline. [Help Wanted OnLine Index] trends suggest continued recruiting difficulties, with more people joining the labor force and faster wage growth.”

In commentary on last week's jobs numbers, Cornerstone Staffing Solutions President and CEO Steven Drexel also said recruitment is the challenge. 

“In the world of recruitment, staffing and employment services, there are not yet any emerging signs of weakness in demand; it is the availability of workers, or the skills shortage, that keeps us up at night,” said Drexel, who is also an economist. “Recruitment of passive or already employed; but willing to move, workers is the key to success in this environment.”