The professional social network LinkedIn is celebrating its 21st anniversary this Sunday and has wanted to mark the occasion with a study that invites debate. Among other conclusions, the report reveals that Friday is the day with the highest platform usage, and that the majority of profiles are held by individuals aged 45 to 54. In addition, most queries are made from smartphones and during working hours.
LinkedIn’s network is maturing unaffected by the whims of the internet: it does not need to be trendy to demonstrate its influence on nearly one third of internet users. The ability to stay away from the frills of other social networks and its value as a work tool are part of the company’s foundational DNA, which Microsoft acquired eight years ago for $26.2 billion (€24.4 billion). According to the most recent data, nearly 12 million people accessed the platform last March (11.7 million unique users). Of those, more than 8 million users did so through mobile devices, compared to the five million who accessed from a computer, while tablets are in third place, with only 1% of users (388,589 unique users), according to GfK DAM data, a digital audience meter in Spain.
Even though LinkedIn is a social network used by both men and women, men are the ones with a higher presence, with over 6 million unique monthly users compared to the 5.6 million female monthly visitors. Additionally, men also make more intensive and loyal use, with 1.15 million men connecting daily to LinkedIn compared to the 983,215 daily female users. The majority age group accessing the platform consists of people between 45 and 54 years old, with 2.47 million unique users per month and young people aged 25 to 34 years, with 1.99 million individuals.
Apart from the predominant age groups, there is a segment that stands out as the most aligned with LinkedIn: millennials. In fact, according to the same study, “users in this target group are 30% more aligned than the general population.
The data also reflects that consumption is higher on weekdays compared to weekends, possibly related to the platform’s professional nature. Specifically, the favorite day to visit LinkedIn is on Fridays, with over 5.5 million unique users. Regarding the times of day that have the highest user volume, the time frame between 1 pm and 6 pm stands out, with more than 7,825,593 users, followed by the interval from 7 am to 12 pm (7,242,240) and, in third place, from 6 pm to midnight, with 6,370,106 monthly unique users in March.
The report data indicates that nearly 7 million LinkedIn users are currently employed, surpassing the population average by 18%. The second most significant group is students, with nearly 2 million in the last month, while those seeking their first job totaled 165,542 unique users. Regarding occupational status, the professional specialization of users has also been analyzed. Engineers are the profiles most aligned with LinkedIn, while workers in the tourism sector show the least interest.
David Sánchez, Digital Solutions Director at GfK, explains that “after more than two decades established in society, LinkedIn has consolidated as much more than a platform to create a network of professional contacts: it is a networking space, but also a communication channel between companies and brands with their audience, as well as a job search site, training, and exchange of knowledge and experiences. It is the perfect example of a social network that has specialized itself.”
