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Facebook supported 35,200 jobs and contributed an estimated £2.2 billion to the UK economy last year, according to a new report by Deloitte

Measuring Facebook's economic impact in Europe looks at Facebook's economic impact across Europe and also in France, UK, Germany, Spain and Italy.

Chris Williams, Deloitte's economic consulting partner, said: 'Facebook embodies a new generation of social media organisations that have significant global impact and create economic value through enabling ecosystems of businesses to flourish. Traditional narrow measures of economic impact are limited and it is critical to consider the broader impact of Facebook in allowing other parties to create value across the economy.'

The report considers Facebook's economic impact through its day-to-day activities within Europe, and broad effects, related to value from third parties.

Facebook has supported 232,000 jobs across the European Union and Switzerland, the report claimed .

Speaking at a DLD conference in Munich, Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said: 'Today's report shows that Facebook is about a lot more than sharing pictures or keeping up with friends; increasingly social media means growth and jobs.

'As the Deloitte study highlights, social media is proving particularly valuable for small and medium sized businesses, which form the backbone of the European economy.'

Facebook supports £1.1 billion in what the report calls 'business participation effects' in the UK as businesses use Facebook's pages to promote their brand, raise awareness, advertise and generate new business.

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