Professional Diversity Network Launches Enhanced E

CHICAGO, July 17, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPDN ), a developer and operator of online networks that provide access to employment opportunities for diverse professionals in the United States ("Professional Diversity Network" or "PDN"), announced it has launched its enhanced Employer Recruitment Intelligent Compliance Assistance service ("ERICA" or "the service").

Equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) prohibit discrimination against job applicants and employees of federal contractors and subcontractors and require targeted outreach to women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities. The new ERICA compliance product suite facilitates substantive employer engagement with diverse job seekers, utilizing best practices EEO – OFCCP compliance tools for job distribution and reporting.

ERICA combines job distribution as well as real-time and archived reporting, including documentation of applicant flow, at a single compliance source. The service seamlessly connects PDN's eight diverse employment sites for mandatory Executive Order 11246, Section 503, and Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) compliance reporting, capturing and collecting the demographic data of Internet applicants to comply with Executive Order 11246. Additionally, the service posts to state job banks with PDF snapshots of each state job bank distribution record.

Professional Diversity Network's comprehensive ERICA compliance product suite reaches over 28 million diverse candidates monthly, including PDN's nearly 2.5 million registered users.

The new ERICA compliance product suite includes distribution of PDN's unlimited job listings to thousands of state and local employment agencies and on demand reporting, joined with recruitment media and professional and social network recruitment tools.

"Too often employers who value diversity fall short in reaching their diversity hiring goals. They may succeed in complying with governmental regulations, but fail to identify sufficient diverse talent. Our mission is to increase access to solid new economy jobs for unemployed and underemployed ethnically diverse talent, as well as veterans and those who are disabled," stated Mike Hernandez, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer.

PDN's new ERICA compliance product suite includes client consultations with PDN compliance specialist Tandalea Mercer, a former OFCCP Compliance Officer. Ms. Mercer will work with PDN clients to evaluate their diversity recruitment and good faith efforts history in order to best achieve compliance.

About Professional Diversity Network

Professional Diversity Network develops and operates online networks dedicated to serving diverse professionals in the United States and providing them with access to employment opportunities. Professional Diversity Network offers employers who value diversity an online platform in which to identify and acquire diverse talent for their hiring needs. Professional Diversity Network owns and operates professional networking communities including:  www.iHispano.com for Hispanic Professionals, www.AMightyRiver.com for African American professionals,  www.WomensCareerChannel.com for Female Professionals,  www.Military2Career.com for Veterans,  http://www.ProAble.net for Professionals with Disabilities,  www.OutProNet.com for professionals in the Gay Community, and www.AsianCareerNetwork.com for Asian professionals.

For more information, visit:  www.professionaldiversitynetwork.com

Safe Harbor under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 concerning Professional Diversity Network, its affiliations and alliances, its ERICA compliance product suite and its business strategies. These statements or disclosures may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future trends, plans, events, results of operations or financial condition, or state other information relating to Professional Diversity Network, based on current beliefs of management as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "may" "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "guidance," "intend," "may," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project" or other similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside of Professional Diversity Network's control. Therefore, investors and shareholders should not place undue reliance on such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include Professional Diversity Network's ability to maintain its business relationships with its key customers; unanticipated changes and competition in the online recruitment market; unanticipated downturns in the economy; Professional Diversity Network's ability to generate recruitment revenue through direct sales, unexpected technical or marketing difficulties; unexpected claims, charges or litigation; and new laws and governmental regulations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Investors and shareholders should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties that affect Professional Diversity Network's business described in its Annual Report on Form 10-K. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date they were made. Professional Diversity Network does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements .

Professional Diversity Network, Inc. David Mecklenburger, Vice President of Finance 312-614-0944 Media Relations Rachelle Pachtman Pachtman Communications 212-996-1715/646-287-2952 Investor Relations Merriman Capital, Inc. Douglas Rogers, Managing Director Head of Capital Markets Advisory Group 415-248-5612/323-712-3000