The Monster Worldwide Inc. employment index of online job demand rose one point in May to a reading of 134, but it was up 16 points over May 2009 -- the highest year-over-year growth since April 2007.

"The sustained expansion of job opportunities, especially in some large industries is encouraging," said Jesse Harriott, senior VP and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. "While some of this increase can be attributed to seasonality, the notable improvement in annual growth rate is the highest since April 2007 and reflects a better job market heading into the summer months compared to this time last year."

Monster's index is based on a review of online job ads taken from a selection of Web sites, including Monster.