"The Monster employment index monthly contraction in July was in line with seasonal expectations considering the summer months tends to be a slower period for recruitment activity," said Jesse Harriott, senior VP and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. "Year-over-year growth remained unchanged between June and July. The fact that hiring is more robust than a year ago points to a general improvement in the nation's hiring conditions as the economy continues its slow but steady recovery."

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