LinkedIn reaches half a billion users
The professional network hits the 500 million member milestone.
A half-billion members and counting.
LinkedIn said Monday that it's now crossed the 500 million member threshold. The total is up from the 467 million the professional network announced in October.
Facebook has more than 1.8 billion monthly users and Twitter has 319 million. LinkedIn no longer tracks monthly users. In October it said it had 106 million.
Other tidbits mentioned by LinkedIn include that its half-billion members are spread out across 200 countries. The platform also has some 10 million jobs listed and more than 9 million company profiles. Users post an average of 100,000 articles each week. "We're excited to think about the potential of what a highly connected global community of professionals can do," said Aatif Awan, LinkedIn's vice president of growth and international products.
LinkedIn's milestone comes nearly a year after tech giant Microsoft acquired the platform for $26.2 billion. In that time, the company has improved its mobile and desktop versions and made upgrades to features including messaging; Open Candidates, where members can discreetly notify recruiters they're job hunting; and Salary, which assists those seeking to make more money.
LinkedIn said the United Arab Emirates is the country that's most connected (contacts), while London is the most connected city. Naturally, staffing and recruiting is the platform's most connected industry, and human relations the most connected job function.
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