Levels of online managerial recruitment in the US rose to its second-highest level in over four years in August, despite a drop in activity in three of the past four months.

The CareerCast.com/JobSerf Employment Index, which surveys managerial roles across a number of local and national job boards, reached 113.6 in August, up from 102.5 in July. This is the second highest peak level for the index since it launched in January 2008, when it was set at 100, with any reading above 100 indicating growth.

Nationwide, the North-East, South-East and Mid-West saw substantial gains in managerial recruitment activity, while the South-West saw the growth drop off. Activity was also marginally down in the West.

Manager level roles saw no change, while vice-president positions grew significantly, and top seniority C-level roles and director positions rose but more modestly.

CareerCast.com publisher Tony Lee says: "The nation has flirted with an improved hiring market repeatedly this year, and each time we take two steps forward, we seem to then take a step back.

“Hopefully, we're moving to a new level of activity that will sustain for a while.”