By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

One of Rhode Island’s major employers announced plans to add hundreds more jobs.

Fidelity Investments said on Monday that it will add 500 people to its workforce in Smithfield, developing a new, regional customer service center.

“This new regional center will join the six others that Fidelity has across the United States, and it will be the home base for 500 new customer facing positions,” said Rick Metters, Fidelity Investments’ Vice President for Rhode Island Regional Public Affairs & Government Relations.

He spoke outside a building on the Fidelity campus in Smithfield, vacant for the past year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and said the investment giant is adding the jobs to service the 8.6 million new accounts opened by customers during 2020.

Governor Dan McKee welcomed the announcement, sand she he expects other big employers to follow the investment giant’s lead in the months to come.

“We always hear, right? Geez, where are our kids going to work?,” said McKee. “We want them to stay here in Rhode Island. What a great opportunity here, that we’re offering some entry level … into a top-notch company like Fidelity right here in Rhode Island.”

Metters declined to outline a potential salary range for the 500 jobs, but described them as entry level, adding hiring would be conducted over the second and third quarters of this year. He said the company plans to interview, hire and “onboard those associates virtually at this point.”

Fidelity currently lists 3,200 employees at its Smithfield campus, but since the start of the pandemic, most have been working from home.