Facebook to create 500 jobs in the UK
Facebook has said that it will be hiring an additional 500 employees next year when it opens its new base in London.
The tech giant will be creating jobs in engineering, marketing, and sales at its new Fitzrovia headquarters.
Nicola Mendelson, Facebook's European boss, said: "The UK remains one of the best places to be a tech company."
"Many of those new roles will be high-skilled engineering jobs as the UK is home to our largest engineering base outside of the US."
She is expected to announce the plans at the CBI annual conference today.
London mayor Sadiq Khan hailed the move, saying: "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."
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Facebook's announcement comes after Google said it would be pressing ahead with plans for a new £1bn headquarters in the UK, doubling the company's headcount in the country. Google's boss Sundar Pichai said "we see opportunities here", adding that a crackdown on skilled immigrants would be a "worry" for the sector.
"The innovation we see here, the talent we have available here and how on the cutting edge of technology we are able to be here makes it an incredible place for us to invest," he said in an interview with the BBC.
In a speech on the government's industrial strategy today, Theresa May is expected to announce that she will reserve billions for technology that can be commercially successful. She said that her plan is "not about picking winners", but has identified a range of areas that would be wise for the government to invest in, including robotics, artificial intelligence and medical technology.