Monster.com Acquires Affinity Labs For Vocational CommunitiesMonster.com Acquires Affinity Labs For Vocational Communities

Online employment company Monster Worldwide reported Friday that it has acquired Affinity Labs, a development-stage firm that targets vertical vocational communities. Monster said it will pay $61 million in cash for Affinity.

Founded in 2006, Affinity Labs runs professional and vocational communities for people seeking to enter, advance, and network in various dedicated occupations.

Affinity's communities include ArtBistro, FireLink, GovCentral, PoliceLink, NursingLink, TechCommunity, and TheApple. Monster said the addition of Affinity's online communities will provide overall user and job seeker content for Monster's base of users while increasing online advertising services to a larger targeted customer base.

"Our investment in Affinity provides Monster with an efficient vehicle for developing future revenue streams in vibrant career fields while permitting us to actively invest in product, technology, and brand support in our core business," said Sal Iannuzzi, Monster's chairman and CEO, in a statement. "We believe Affinity's model complements the core Monster business and significantly enhances our presence in key verticals within the online vocational and networking market."

The acquisition of the Affinity online communities will enable Monster to add career guides, industry job searches, trade news, and social networking in job seekers' particular areas of interest, Monster said.

Monster and Affinity have a history of cooperation; since early 2007, the two companies have cooperated in an agreement that leverages Monster's advertising sales force and gives job seekers access to Affinity's communities. Christopher Michel, founder of Affinity, will join Monster in the deal. Previously, Monster acquired Military.com, which was founded by Michel.