The Monster Worldwide Inc. employment index fell one point in November to a reading of 119, erasing its one-point gain in October. The index is down 17% on a year-over-year basis -- the mildest rate of decline since Sept. 2008.

"The trend in online job availability has been largely flat for most of the year and remained so in November," said Jesse Harriott, senior VP and chief knowledge officer at Monster Worldwide. "While job losses have continued to ease, businesses remain cautious about adding to their payrolls in light of sustained economic uncertainty."

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