The Monster Employment Index shows demand for media and PR employees fell by 26% since last year, in education it dropped by 33% and craft-related vacancies fell 41%.
Hugo Sellert, head of economic research for Monster Worldwide, said: "The sharp decline in online job demand in the final months of 2008 confirms the UK labour market has fallen into recession. In addition the plummet in demand for HR professionals signals companies are likely to scale back further on hiring well into next year."
"The jobs market is unlikely to improve before businesses regain confidence in the struggling economy. Education is one of the few bright areas, with schools and colleges significantly stepping up recruiting efforts to secure staff for 2009."
The only region in the UK to see an upturn in hiring across all industries was Northern Ireland where demand has risen by 49% over the last year.
HR vacancies plummet by 63%
Online recruitment has reached a 20-month low with HR vacancies dropping by 63% over the past year - the most in any industry sector.
