Facebook to Add 500 Staff in U.K.

LONDON—Facebook Inc. said Monday that it would add 500 employees in the U.K. next year, making it at least the third Silicon Valley giant to announce British expansion plans after the country's Brexit vote in June to leave the European Union.

Nicola Mendelsohn, vice president of Facebook in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said at a conference Monday that it was too early to judge how Brexit would affect the company, but she stressed that the freedom of movement of talent is important for the group.

Adding 500 employees would boost Facebook's labor presence in the U.K. by 50%.

Apple Inc. said in September that it planned to open a new London campus in 2021. Alphabet Inc's Google said last week that it would move ahead with plans to build a three-building campus near King's Cross train station in central London.

Politicians have seized on the hat-trick of announcements as a sign that Britain remains open for business following Brexit, following concerns that the technology sector could suffer from the U.K.'s planned EU exit.

Some tech companies had warned before the June referendum that Brexit would create obstacles to doing business in the U.K. and add an additional regulatory burden, though the industry could benefit from a loosening of EU regulations which have seen large U.S. tech companies clash with the bloc.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the decision shows that the city's position as a tech hub "keeps on growing."

Earlier Monday, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May said it would do the U.K. a disservice for the government to provide a "running commentary" on its negotiation position at this stage, amid calls from British business leaders to provide clarity on the U.K.'s position.

Philip Georgiadis contributed to this article.

Write to Stu Woo at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 21, 2016 09:35 ET (14:35 GMT)

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