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Online recruitment activity in Ottawa rose by 13.2 per cent year-over-year in April, but fell by three per cent from the previous month, mirroring the national trend, according to Monster Canada's employment index.

The local index rose by 15 points from a year earlier to 129, dipping four points from March's index.

Nationally, online job demand rose by 30 per cent year-over-year but dropped by 1.3 per cent from a month earlier as recruiting activity cooled down from a record high in March.

"There was a slight slowdown to start the second quarter, but the index's nine-point increase over the past three months indicates that Canadian online recruitment overall keeps rising," said Monster Canada vice-president and general manager Gabriel Bouchard in a statement.

Nearly all of the 10 job classifications used in the report saw year-over-year gains in online recruitment activity, with the sole exception of the manufacturing sector which saw a one-point decline in its index to 117.

The art, culture, recreation and sport sector posted the sharpest increase of 44.7 per cent from a year earlier.

On a monthly basis, six out of the 10 sectors saw online job demand increase, with the biggest month-over-month increase occurring in the social services, education and government sector, at 11.8 per cent.

The main contributors to the monthly decrease were slowdowns in management; business, finance and administration; manufacturing; and natural and applied sciences, which include IT, computer services and engineering.

All the provinces saw year-over-year gains in online job recruitment, with the biggest jump occuring in the Northwest Territories, which saw its index jump to 160 from 101. Ontario's online job demand soared by 37.4 per cent from a year earlier.

However, the monthly results were more varied, with mixed results in both central Canada and the western provinces, and increases in Atlantic Canada.

Prince Edward Island saw the biggest month-over-month increase, of 25 points or 20 per cent, while Ontario had the sharpest drop, of 11 points or 6.5 per cent, as demand for workers declined in business, finance and administrative positions; management jobs; and natural and applied sciences.

Alberta topped the list of provinces with the greatest online job availability.

Meanwhile, all 13 metropolitan areas surveyed saw increases in their online job demand from a year earlier, with Hamilton posting the biggest jump of 89 points or 78.1 per cent.

However, eight of the 13 areas tracked saw monthly declines in online recruitment activity.