Facebook Inc. generated $227 billion in global economic activity and indirectly created 4.5 million jubs last year, according to a report commissioned by the social media behemoth and conducted by Deloitte, VentureBeat reported.

“Our study finds that Facebook enables significant global economic activity by helping to unlock new opportunities through connecting people and businesses, lowering barriers to marketing and stimulating innovation,” said Deloitte’s Jolyon Barke.

Deloitte said Facebook generates economic activity through its marketing tools, its app platform and the incentive it creates among its users to consume more mobile broadband and data services.

The biggest impact is in North America, with $104 billion in economic activity, followed by the European-Middle East-Africa region at $64 billion.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that vrtual reality goggles, drones and data centers are all driving a hiring spree at Facebook that could swell its ranks as much as 14 percent in the near term.

Facebook aims to add nearly 1,200 new employees, the outgrowth of aggressive investments that executives have said will define the coming year.