The Linux Foundation says that the market for Linux-related jobs has grown 80 percent over the past five years. In response to this trend, the foundation is launching a Linux job board to help connect employers with potential candidates for Linux-related jobs.

The Linux Foundation, an advocacy and standardization group, obtained the Linux.com domain name from GeekNet last year. The website hosts a variety of content and services for Linux users and programmers, including blogs and community-driven technical support. The job board, which will be powered by th JobThread Network, is the latest addition to the website.

"Linux' increasing use across industries is building high demand for Linux jobs despite national unemployment stats," said Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin in a statement. "Linux.com reaches millions of Linux professionals from all over the world. By providing a Jobs Board feature on the popular community site, we can bring together employers, recruiters and job seekers to lay the intellectual foundation for tomorrow's IT industry."

During the Linux Collaboration Summit last year, Zemlin declared Linux the "fastest growing platform" and touted an IDC study which contended that the open source operating system would endure the economic recession better than its competitors. Although it's still unclear if IDC's speculation will prove true, the need for cost-cutting in the current economic climate has certainly helped to boost Linux adoption, a trend that is potentially contributing further to the growth of the Linux job market.