By: Senior staff writer – Easton Ellsworth

The Associated Press reports (and the LinkedIn blog confirms) that LinkedIn.com has raised $22.7 million in investor money to go along with $53 million it secured in June 2008.

Even though LinkedIn has been appraised at approximately $1 billion and now has over $80 million resting in its coffers, we can’t help but wonder, given the meh state of the U.S. and global economies:

Will it be enough?

We think so. Here’s why.

1. 30 million members. In 150 industries, we might add. And the nature of LinkedIn (a social network especially for professionals) means that it won’t have as hard a time getting members to spend money for increased exposure, premium tools, consulting, etc., as non-business-oriented networks like Friendster or MySpace might.

2. Serious investors. (Goldman Sachs, McGraw-Hill, SAP, Bain Capital, etc.) LinkedIn is linked in, so to speak, to the right VCs and investors to make it sturdy in this turbulent time.

3. Rabid growth. Compete shows that LinkedIn’s overall traffic continues to grow like a weed.

Do you think the economic downturn will turn LinkedIn’s future sour? Will business folks flock to it in droves or avoid it like the plague in this troubled time?