TownNews.com and Redmatch have partnered

The over 800 newspapers hosted by TownNews.com will be able to post their employment classifieds into The Job Network at no charge. Newspapers will be able to have co-branded Job Network sites for as little as $75 a month.

The companies announced the joint venture at the Newspaper Association of America’s new media Connections conference in San Diego.

Newspapers have suffered huge losses in employment recruitment advertising since 2000. We think The Job Network will help reverse that ominous trend, said Marc Wilson, chief executive officer of TownNews.com, a Moline, Ill., based company that is 80 percent owned by Lee Enterprises.

In 2000, newspaper classified advertising totaled more than $19.6 billion. That total fell to $15.9 billion in 2002, with almost all the losses attributable to losses in recruitment/employment advertising. In 2000, newspaper recruitment advertising totaled $8.7 billion, but dropped to $4.3 billion in 2002 and an estimated $3.75 billion in 2003, according to the NAA.

Mega job sites such as Monster.com and HotJobs.com are continuously taking market share away from newspapers, said Gal Almog, chief executive officer of Redmatch, a world leader in online employment solutions based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Linking your newspaper to this network will help papers create new and significant revenue opportunities, while protecting your current installed customer base.

Newspapers participating in The Job Network will be able to port their display ads into the network at no charge. They also will be able to offer their customers a number of up-sells that will make it easier for employers to find employees, and job-seekers to find jobs.

Newspapers will be able to compete better, Almog said. They will be able to promote to their community that all their employment ads will be published in a national recruitment system that is promoted by many other newspapers across the nation.

This technology, Wilson added, will enable community newspapers to reinforce and regain their position as the best medium to look for jobs and employees.

Many newspapers no longer attract the recruitment advertising that is done by local hospitals, colleges and industry because this type of advertising has steadily moved to the Internet, Wilson said. Now, the local newspaper can offer the best of all worlds -- print, local online and national online advertising. Advertisers can find no better value!

Once a newspaper agrees, TownNews.com will link the paper’s website to The Job Network, and provide you with the necessary information and training to start generating additional revenue. All future employment/recruitment ads automatically will be posted onto the network.

The Redmatch technology provides employment features and content, including job searching, real-time job matching, online application, resume management and more. Your website’s visitors will gain access to the largest interactive salary survey in the United States. These services will be provided to participating newspapers at no cost.

Participating newspapers will be able to offer job advertisers the opportunity to upgrade their ads. Upgrades include greater exposure, better screening and higher visibility.

www.Redmatch.com