Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced that around half of employees will be permitted to work from home permanently.

The world’s largest social network will begin "aggressively opening up remote hiring" together with a "more measured approach to opening permanent remote work for existing employees." 

According to a Sky News report, Zuckerberg revealed he anticipates 50% of staff to end up working from home within 10 years.

Nevertheless, the Facebook CEO said that employees living in less expensive parts of the country could see their pay adjusted.

"We pay very well, basically at the top of the market, but we pay a market rate. And that varies by location, so we're going to continue that principle here," he stated.

Around 50,000 people work for Facebook and this latest announcement in regard to remote working could have a significant effect on San Francisco, as rapid expansion within the technology sector has weighed on the transport infrastructure and housing market.

Zuckerberg said that there are "a lot of nuances" as to how the remote working process will be implemented within the next five to 10 years, reports Cnet. Employees will be eligible for remote working if they have shown a robust performance and have sufficient experience.

In addition, they must be part of a team supporting working from home, and gain a group leader’s approval.

There are also plans to open new hubs in Atlanta, Dallas and Denver. 

"I just think that approaching this thoughtfully and methodically rather than just swinging the doors open to everyone ... is going to help us strengthen really important parts of our operational culture," Zuckerberg said.

Certain members of staff will be unable to work remotely, such as hardware developers and content reviewers.

"Supporting remote work affects everyone that you work with, and I'm optimistic that we can make this a positive experience broadly, but I also want to make sure that it's positive for the whole company," Zuckerberg told employees.

Other tech firms, including social media rival Twitter, have also announced plans to allow employees to continue working from home indefinitely.

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