The internet is swiftly becoming an alternative to the classified pages for restless employees, with record numbers of job-seekers logging on to career sites in February.

The number of people accessing online employment advertisements was 521,000, more than double the figure in January, according to internet audience measurement firm MMXI Europe.

The most popular site was Stepstone.co.uk, visited by 3% of all who logged on to the net. Also heavily used were Topjobs.co.uk, Jobsite.co.uk and Monster.co.uk.

Lucy Green, MMXI's marketing director, put the boom down to advertising: "There's been a general raising of awareness. Stepstone have been using billboards and there's been quite a lot of promotional activity generally."

Job-seeking on the net is popular because it can be done outside working hours. "It's quite difficult to job-hunt in the office. You can get on the phone to a headhunter but everyone in the room will suspect you're doing it. With the internet, you can look for a job any time of the day or night, completely privately."

Many of the openings advertised are in the computer industry or clerical roles. However, MMXI expects to see an increase in employment sites catering for specific industries over the coming months.

Mr Green said job seeking was going online in the same way as buying books or booking holidays: "In general, people understand it's a way of saving time and doing something more conveniently."

Stepstone, the most successful jobs site, floated last month with a valuation of £480m. The site is run by Giles Clarke, who made a fortune from the retail chains Majestic Wine and Pet City.

Rivals for eyeballs

Sites Reach Unique Visitors ( %) ('000s)

Stepstone.co.uk 3.0 521

Topjobs.co.uk 1.8 157

Jobsite.co.uk 1.3 112

Monster.co.uk 1.0 88

Source: MMXI