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Facebook opens new London office, bringing 800 jobs to the capital
Facebook Inc. announced on Monday the opening of a new London office, bringing in 800 new jobs and doubling its employee count in the U.K.
The move has been called a vote of confidence in the U.K. despite Brexit, which saw Britain leaving the European Union. Facebook has said that about half the jobs will be engineering positions, which mean that London will house the company’s second-largest engineering base in the world, behind the United States.
“It’s a sign of confidence in our country that innovative companies like Facebook invest here,” said Finance Minister Philip Hammond, who was given a tour around the new offices situated in the middle of the city center on Oxford Street.
Facebook will now have 2,300 employees working in the U.K. in total. Besides engineers, the new office will be home to Facebook’s very own startup incubator, LDN_LAB, which will invite small digital businesses on three-month programs, giving them expert advice to help them accelerate their startups. Facebook has chalked in 20 startups to join the program over the coming year.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the move shows that the city is at the forefront of global innovation. He added that the incubator “is set to play a crucial role in attracting vital talent to London and will help to pave the way for the next generation of successful startups.”
Nicola Mendelsohn, vice-president of Facebook’s European operations, said the company was committed to supporting growth in the U.K. “The U.K.’s flourishing entrepreneurial ecosystem and international reputation for engineering excellence makes it one of the best places in the world to build a tech company,” she said. “This country has been a huge part of Facebook’s story over the past decade, and I look forward to continuing our work.”
Facebook follows Amazon.com Inc., which announced it will expand its research and development center in London from 450 to 900 employees, bringing its U.K. workforce to a 24,000, 5,000 of those in research and development. Google has also started work on its $1.3 billion “landscaper” in London that along with existing buildings will house 7,000 employees.
Image: Alex Dawson via Flickr
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