Amsterdam lures record number of international businesses

A record number of 139 international companies established new offices in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area last year, amsterdam business announced in a press release today. These companies brought 1,308 jobs to the region, and the number is expected to increase to 2,359 within three years. The international companies that were already established in Amsterdam also reported creating 1,611 additional jobs last year. "The increase in the number of new businesses and jobs shows that Amsterdam is living up to its ranking as the fourth most competitive city in the world." alderman Kasja Ollongren of Economic Affairs said in the press release. The largest shares of companies that settled in Amsterdam in 2014 were from the ICT sector, including companies like Netflix and Uber. According to the press release this is due to Amsterdam's outstanding digital infrastructure. Nearly half (66) of the companies that chose Amsterdam last year came from North America. 30 new companies came from Asian countries. Last year 42 European companies also established offices in Amsterdam. "Companies are increasingly opting for Amsterdam ahead of other European cities thanks to its internationally-oriented services industry, excellent physical and digital accessibility and superb price-quality ratio." the press release states.