Jacobs to create almost 2,500 jobs in UK

US-based engineering solutions company Jacobs said on Wednesday that it would create up to 2,400 jobs in the UK with the opening its first European headquarters in London.

Jacobs, which already employed over 9,000 people in the UK, said that the planned expansion was a testament to its confidence in the British economy.

The company said the roles on offer would be spread across its 30 existing offices and would cover a broad range of highly-skilled professional and technical roles across multiple sectors

Jacobs did not specify how much it would spend in order to implement its plans.

Work in the UK carried out by the firm had included programme management of the designs for the London 2012 Olympics venues.

The hiring spree marked a welcome and rare development amid the ongoing Brexit uncertainty and the ensuing slump in wider business investment, although a weak pound had made UK assets more attractive for foreign buyers.

The company said its "progressive" new European HQ, housing 1,000 workers at the Cottons Centre near London Bridge, was central to its growth strategy in Europe and the Middle East.

Jacobs president and chief operating officer, Bob Pragada, said: "This investment is an indication of our ongoing confidence in the UK economy and its long-term infrastructure plans.

"Our people are helping to tackle some of the UK's most complex challenges to make the future better, delivering projects to safeguard the environment and improve the security, connectivity, resiliency and productivity of the UK."