Recruitment activity in the Middle East rose by 28 percent in November compared to the same month last year, according to latest data supplied by recruitment firm Monster Worldwide. Saudi Arabia led the way with a 52 percent jump, as the Gulf kingdom registered an uptrend in hiring for the fourth month in a row. The Monster Employment Index Middle East also showed a 14 point increase month-over-month. Online job opportunities exceeded the level of November 2010 level in four of the seven countries monitored by the index. After Saudi Arabia, Kuwait was up 4 percent while Bahrain and Qatar (down 8 percent) recorded the most dramatic annual decline. Sanjay Modi, managing director, Monster.com (India/Middle East/South East Asia), said: \"The Monster Employment Index Middle East shows regional employers are continuing to drive a consistent escalation in online recruitment activity. \"This is especially true in major economies like Saudi Arabia and UAE where ongoing positive momentum is informing positive hiring trends in sectors like healthcare, education and banking and finance.\" Nine of the 12 industry sectors monitored by the index saw improved recruitment levels compared to November 2010, with healthcare (up 43 percent) the top performer, followed by education (up 40 percent).