Jaguar Land Rover creates 1,000 new jobs

Jaguar Land Rover is to create 1,000 jobs at its factory on Merseyside to support "significant demand" for some of its models, the company announced today.

The new jobs will take the workforce at Halewood to almost 4,500, treble the number employed there three years ago.

The company said the new posts will support the significant demand for the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Freelander 2.

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) human resources director Des Thurlby said: "These 1,000 new jobs are further evidence of JLR's clear ambition for continued growth. We are moving Halewood to three shifts and 24-hour operation to meet increased global demand for our products."

Business Secretary Vince Cable, who met JLR's senior management at the Geneva Show last week about increasing production at Halewood, said: "It is excellent news that Jaguar Land Rover is taking on another 1,000 people and increasing shifts at its Halewood plant to meet strong global demand for its products.

"Today's announcement is further evidence of the strength of the UK automotive sector and will also have a positive impact on growth in local supply chains.

"Figures out today showed that the trade balance was better than expected in January, thanks to strong exports of cars to the US, China and Russia."

Mr Thurlby added: "JLR's supply chain is also set to benefit, with thousands more jobs expected to be created. Our commitment to expand the Halewood workforce and increase production is great news for JLR, for Merseyside and for the wider UK economy."

The new jobs will include production operators, supervisors and engineers.

It is the second employment boost in a week in the motor industry after Japanese car giant Nissan announced plans to build a new model in the UK under a £125 million investment programme, creating 2,000 jobs.

The vehicle will be built at the Sunderland plant from mid-2013 in a project supported by a £9.3 million grant from the Government.

PA