HR is the weakest area for job vacancies with the number of online posts declining for the seventh consecutive month.

The Monster Employment Index for January 2009 shows demand for HR roles is weaker than any other sector.

Monster culls the index of jobs from the millions of online job applications across a number of job boards and career sites. In January HR's index was 52 compared with health care (321), education, training and library (215), engineering (143) and legal (127).

But recruitment across the board is now at its lowest since May 2006.

Hugo Sellert, head of economic research at Monster Worldwide, said: "The job market is an obvious casualty of the deepening recession. Online advertised vacancies reached a two-and-a-half-year low in January. There are some bright spots, though. Demand remains strong for healthcare, education and other public sector workers as government programmes work to offset private-sector job losses."