Facebook is increasing its investment in Europe, announcing plans to more than double the workforce at its Irish headquarters within the next year.
The social networking giant yesterday officially opened its new European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters on Hanover Quay, Dublin, confirming that it would bolster the local operation with more staff.
Facebook said it expected to double the headcount from 70 to more than 140 next year. Facebook’s European operations have been based in Dublin since October 2008.
The Irish minister for enterprise, trade and employment, Mary Coughlan, who opened the new Facebook hub, said the announcement confirmed the quality of Ireland’s skilled workforce.
“Facebook has fast become a worldwide name, and it is a fabulous endorsement that Ireland can satisfy the needs of such a highly innovative and technologically advanced companies as they make critical investments,” she said.
Facebook EMEA chief financial officer David Ebersman said that the company looked at multiple places to build a European center to provide services to users, advertisers and developers. “Ireland was really the best choice for us for lots of reasons, the workforce being top of the list.”