Facebook to bring 500 new jobs in UK with new London HQ

In this June 11, 2014, file photo, a man walks past a mural in an office on the Facebook campus in Menlo Park, California.  AP FILE PHOTO

In an effort to expand its already massive tech empire, Facebook intends to create around 500 jobs in the UK when it opens its new headquarters in London next year.

Sometime in 2017, the tech company was looking to increase its British workforce by half and hire over 1,500 people to work in the capital, according to The Guardian. The new office is currently under construction in Fitzrovia in central London.

“The UK remains one of the best places to be a tech company and is an important part of Facebook’s story,” Facebook’s European head Nicola Mendelsohn said in the report, adding that most openings will be for high-skilled engineering positions.

“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 1,500 people,” he confirmed.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, meanwhile,  praised the move and proudly proclaimed the city as a “tech center.”

“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,” he said.

The famed English city has been a hotbed for tech companies in recent years, as Google announced it will also build new headquarters in King’s Cross, Central London. Amazon is also reportedly leaving its UK base in Slough, Berkshire, after 16 years and will move into a new office in the outskirts of the city in 2017.  Khristian Ibarrola