Amazon boasts that it added 6,000 new jobs last year for a total of 32,000 in Europe

Seattle-based Amazon said today it created 6,000 new permanent jobs in Europe last year, a subtle jab at regulators who are questioning the company’s business practices.

The figure represents the biggest expansion of Amazon’s operations in Europe since the company launched its UK and German websites back in 1998, according to a press release from the company. The company now employs 32,000 people in Europe.

“Demand from our customers in the EU is greater than ever, and we see lots of promising areas to invent and invest for the future,” said Xavier Garambois, vice president of Amazon EU Retail, in a statement. “Even with all of this hiring, we remain in a phase of heavy investment and have many positions available which we look forward to filling in 2015.”

These employees work in 50 locations across Europe, doing jobs ranging from software development to order fulfillment.

The company is no doubt trying to remind regulators of the positive impact it has on Europe’s economy. In recent years, Amazon has become one of many tech companies that are under scrutiny by the European Union over questions of whether they are paying enough taxes.

In the UK, Amazon has also faced criticism for its use of “zero-hour” contracts which allow the company to hire workers without guaranteeing they will have work from week to week. Workers in Amazon’s warehouses have also threatened to strike over pay.