The phenomenon first hit China: the new 2-in-1 trend of looking for a job and finding love, which ZAP reported on here in September.

It has now reached LinkedIn. A recent survey reveals that the social network is no longer just for job hunting and networking.

In fact, reports El Confidencial, it is now the preferred choice among singles of certain age groups for finding the perfect match.

Me registré en LinkedIn buscando trabajo, pero acabé ligando más que en Tinder
Una encuesta revela que esta red social no solo sirve para buscar trabajo y crear relaciones profesionales. De hecho, es la opción preferida entre los solteros de ciertos rangos de edad
El ConfidencialR. Badillo

Since its launch in 2003, LinkedIn has established itself as the most important professional social network in the world, and it's hard to find people of working age who don't have a profile on the platform.

The social network is particularly popular with people who are unemployed or looking for a change of job or career.

However, reveals Dating News, many users are now using it for a purpose that is far from what its founders originally conceived.

The online dating industry portal surveyed 505 single people between the ages of 20 and 40 who were looking for a partner or sporadic relationships.

Among the main conclusions of the survey, the portal points out, is the fact that "although LinkedIn is intended to connect companies with employees and professionals with other professionals, there is a lot of romance hidden under the surface".

According to the data collected, 61% of respondents in the 35-40 age group said they use LinkedIn for dating. In addition, respondents said they preferred LinkedIn to dating apps and sites such as Tinder.

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Although to a lesser extent, it is also the preferred system for respondents aged between 25 and 34, with a figure of 49%.

Of the three demographic segments into which the survey was divided, only among 20-24 year olds was LinkedIn not chosen as the preferred option for flirting.

In this age group, 52% of participants indicated that their preferred method was to meet people in bars - hardly surprising given that many are university students and have not yet entered the job market.