Microsoft acquires a partial stake in the largest online recruitment site in the US

Microsoft has acquired a stake in online recruitment website CareerBuilder.com, the site said on Monday.

CareerBuilder said in the statement that it would become the exclusive content provider for Microsoft's MSN Careers channel in the United States and that both parties had agreed to extend their strategic advisory alliance in this field until 2013.

It was reported that CareerBuilder would pay up to $443 million to MSN within seven years. However, the company did not disclose the specific amount of shares Microsoft purchased, only saying that Microsoft "bought its minority stake".

CareerBuilder is the largest online recruitment website in the U.S. Last year, the company indicated that it would strengthen cooperation with domestic online recruitment site 51job and share database information.

Previously, the major shareholders of CareerBuilder.com included Gannett (GCI), Tribune (TRB) and The McClatchy Co. (MNI).