MENLO PARK, Calif. – Facebook has announced it will expand its presence in the UK by 50% when it opens its new London headquarters in 2017, despite uncertainty over Brexit.
The American technology giant will hire 500 additional employees, including engineers, marketers, project managers and sales staff.
Facebook’s new headquarters will be in Fitzrovia at a site that is currently undergoing redevelopment. The majority of the new staff will be based there, the BBC reports.
The news comes one week after US tech giant Google confirmed it would expand its vast London campus in a move that could bring 3,000 more jobs.
The Facebook announcement will be confirmed later at the annual meeting of top business lobby group the Confederation of British Industry, which is the country’s top employers’ organization.
“The UK remains one of the best places to be a tech company and is an important part of Facebook’s story,” said Nicola Mendelsohn, the company’s vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“We came to London in 2007 with just a handful of people, by the end of next year we will have opened a new HQ and plan to employ 1500 people,” she added in a statement on Monday.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan welcomed the news from the US giant. “Facebook’s decision to expand in London is further evidence that London’s strength as a tech hub keeps on growing,” Khan said.
“It follows news that London remains the best city in Europe for digital startups.”
