The Monster Worldwide Inc. (NASD: MNST) employment index rose two points in October to 188 from 186 in September. More recruitment for white-collar and military occupations helped push the index up.

"The Monster employment index's rise in October is an encouraging sign of continued stability in nationwide employer demand for workers, despite a moderating U.S. economy and the turmoil caused by the housing and credit markets," said Steve Pogorzelski, executive VP, global sales and customer development at Monster. "With the unemployment rate still hovering below 5%, the labor market remains historically tight with shortages of highly skilled workers driving much of the current online recruiting efforts."