LinkedIn romance is on the rise, survey finds
As frustration with traditional dating apps grows, some professionals are turning to LinkedIn to make romantic connections, according to a new survey of U.S. employees, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The survey by career platform Zety, which polled 1,023 U.S. workers in April 2026, found that while most respondents believe LinkedIn should remain a professional networking platform, a growing minority are using it to explore romantic relationships.
Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed, or 74%, said romantic advances on LinkedIn cross a professional boundary. However, 26% believe the platform is an acceptable place for dating, and 22% said they have either contacted someone or responded to a message on LinkedIn with romantic intentions.
The survey also found that 12% of respondents have entered a romantic relationship that began on the platform.
Despite these experiences, many professionals remain cautious. About 65% believe using LinkedIn for dating could harm their professional reputation, while only 35% said they do not see it as a reputational risk.
LinkedIn is also increasingly being used as a tool to verify potential partners rather than initiate conversations. Nearly half of respondents, 48%, said they consider information on LinkedIn profiles more trustworthy than details shared on dating apps, while 21% admitted to researching someone they met online or in person through the professional networking site.
The findings suggest that career history and professional identity are becoming part of how people evaluate potential partners. Besides profile photos, cited by 57% of respondents, personality expressed in the "About" section ranked almost as highly at 55%, followed by mutual connections at 41%. Career history and educational background each influenced 35% of respondents, while current job titles were important for 30%.
Opinions were divided on receiving romantic messages through LinkedIn. Around one third of respondents said they would feel uncomfortable, while 31% said their reaction would depend on the circumstances. Nearly one in five said they would report or block the sender, compared with 16% who said they would feel flattered.
The study included 1,023 U.S. employees from different age groups, with women accounting for 53% of respondents.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that social media entered the era of user-controlled algorithms.
