Monster 3Q earnings fall on still-shaky job market

NEW YORK (AP) — Monster Worldwide Inc., which operates the job search site Monster.com, said its third-quarter earnings fell 23 percent — evidence employers were still nervous to hire.

Monster said the overall recruitment market remains challenging, but it's continuing to develop new products to lure both job seekers and employers.

The company earned $32.8 million, or 27 cents per share, for the three motnhs ended Sept. 30 compared with $42.8 million, or 35 cents per share, a year ago.

Excluding an income tax benefit, the company earned a penny per share in the most recent quarter.

Revenue sank 35 percent to $214.5 million from $332.2 million a year ago.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, which tend to strip out one-time gains and losses from their estimates, expected break-even earnings per share on higher revenue of $222.8 million.

Its shares fell 54 cents, or 3.3 percent, to $16.04 in morning trading.