Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) has announced plans to increase UK staff by 500, adding to the 1,000 the social media company currently employs in London.
The 50 percent increase in staff at the UK headquarters plans to take place in 2017, despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
“The UK remains one of the best places to be a tech company and is an important part of Facebook’s story,” vice-president Nicola Mendelsohn will say at a conference run by the CBI later on Monday.
The decision to expand in the UK comes after Google – owned by parent company Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – said in November that it plans to invest in thousands of extra engineers as part of the move to a new London location.
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) also has plans to hire up to 1,000 new members of British staff.
These announcements come at a critical time, with Prime Minister Theresa May under pressure to demonstrate that Britain remains open for business following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. She is expected to pledge plans to slash corporation tax to 17% by 2020 at the CBI conference.
Sadiq Khan has welcomed Facebook’s news and believes it brings hope to the capital.
“Facebook’s decision to expand in London is further evidence that London’s strength as a tech hub keeps on growing,” he said.
“The capital’s vibrant tech scene is the envy of Europe and Facebook’s continuing commitment is another sign that London is open to talent, innovation and entrepreneurship from all four corners of the world.”
Facebook will hire 500 additional employees, including sales staff, engineers, marketers, project managers .
Despite foreign companies having a clear vote of confidence in the UK following the referendum, leaders of both large and small tech groups still worry about accessing skilled global talent.
“We need clarity about the existing EU employees, and we need a regime that allows for frictionless movement of talent,” said Julian David, chief executive of industry body TechUK. “It’s the same across every part of the tech industry, from start-ups to highly established large companies.”