Facebook has announced that it is taking out a long-term lease in Dublin, Ireland that will see it quadruple its office’s floor space and allow the company to increase its workforce by more than double. The firm currently hires 4,000 people in the country which is lower than rivals Apple and Google who both hire more than 6,000 people, but with the new expansion, Facebook can add another 5,000 employees to the payroll.
Discussing the move, Gareth Lambe, Head of Facebook Ireland, said:
“We’re investing here for the long term. This significant investment in a 14-acre campus with capacity for thousands more employees demonstrates our commitment to Ireland, our desire to grow our business here and continue to contribute to the economy.”
At the moment, Facebook employs engineers, legal professionals, marketing and sales staff at its international headquarters. It’s unclear if by acquiring this lease from Allied Irish Banks whether it will start any new departments in the country or just hire more people to bolster those mentioned above.
The Irish business minister, Heather Humphreys, hailed the expansion as a vote of confidence in Ireland. The small western European country sees one-in-ten jobs provided by multinationals such as big tech firms because of its low tax regime – which it has recently been defending against French plans to impose a digital sales tax across the European Union.
Source: Reuters