CareerBuilder buys french job board

CB is cozying up to the french. The job board battles continue to expand in Europe.

-CR

CareerBuilder.com Acquires Lesjeudis.com, the Largest Independent Online Job Site in France

CHICAGO and PARIS, July 9 /PRNewswire/ -- CareerBuilder.com, the
largest online job site in the U.S. and Lesjeudis.com, the largest
independent online recruitment company in France, have joined forces to
improve the recruitment experience for French job seekers and employers.
Today the two companies announced that CareerBuilder.com has acquired
Lesjeudis.com.

Founded in 1997, Lesjeudis is one of the most visited online job sites
in France. The company operates six different recruitment Web sites focused
on various employment segments and is one of the most widely recognized IT
job sites in France. Lesjeudis is also a leader in recruitment job fairs in
France.

Lesjeudis will retain its name, but will benefit from the marketing,
partnerships and technology that propelled CareerBuilder to the number one
position in the U.S. Lesjeudis' CEO Cedric Barbier will continue to lead
the company. Financial terms around the acquisition have not been released.

The acquisition comes as France experiences the lowest unemployment
rate in 25 years, according to the French national statistics institute
INSEE. According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, 26 percent of French
workers say they are likely to leave their current position within a year.
The survey also revealed that 16 percent of French workers say they are
actively looking for a job, and of those who are not actively looking, 71
percent would be open to a new job if the right opportunity presented
itself.

"France is one of Europe's largest economies and continues to
experience significant job growth," said Farhan Yasin, President of
CareerBuilder's International Group. "This partnership will help French
employers and workers connect in more dynamic and effective ways, combining
Lesjeudis' vast knowledge of the French recruitment space with the
technology, customer service and career content that helped CareerBuilder
achieve and maintain its leadership position in the U.S."

"Lesjeudis was a pioneer in the online recruiting space in France and
for 10 years has prided itself on delivering a premium experience for job
seekers and employers," said Cedric Barbier, CEO and founder of Lesjeudis.
"The relationship with CareerBuilder pairs us with a company that has
similar values and a deep commitment to innovation, which we believe will
result in the highest quality experience for employers and job seekers in
France."

CareerBuilder began its international expansion in the fall of 2006,
building its presence through a combination of organic development,
partnerships and acquisitions as market conditions warranted. CareerBuilder
has launched organic sites in Canada, the United Kingdom, India, Spain,
Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Italy and Romania. In addition, CareerBuilder
has acquired sites in France (Lesjeudis.com), Sweden (Jobbguiden.se), The
Netherlands (JobbingMall.nl) and Greece (Kariera.gr). CareerBuilder also
maintains strong partnerships in China with 51Jobs, South Korea with
Incruit and the Middle East with Gulf Talent.