Yet more jobs as Jaguar seeks another 1,100

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has announced yet another swathe of new jobs, this time at its Castle Bromwich plant in Birmingham.

The booming manufacturer is seeking more than 1,100 new staff, having already expanded its workforce by more than 8,000 in the last two years.

According to JLR the expansion in staff is needed at Castle Bromwich to support the launch of new Jaguar models. The plant makes the XJ and XF models, including the new XF Sportsbrake which goes on sale at the end of the year.

According to JLR CEO Dr Ralf Speth the company needs to continue to invest in new products, develop new technologies and enhance the skills of its employees.

“The launch of our latest Jaguar models, including the new XF Sportbrake later this year, means it is a very exciting time for Jaguar – these new models will attract new customers to the brand as we look to expand our global reach and further enhance our position in the market.”

JLR is planning what it describes as “40 significant product actions over the next five years” and anticipates that the launch of these new models will also support thousands of jobs in the UK supply chain.

The news has also been welcomed by UK Business Secretary Vince Cable. “This is fantastic news for Castle Bromwich that Jaguar Land Rover is creating more than 1,000 jobs to support the production of new models at the plant,” he said.

“This expansion is a clear demonstration of Jaguar Land Rover’s continuing commitment and investment in the UK.”

Jaguar is currently enjoying major sales growth, having sold more than 29,000 vehicles globally in the first six months of 2012 – a 19 per cent increase against the same period last year.

All of Jaguar’s key markets, including China, UK, USA and Europe, have delivered year on year sales improvements.

Words by: Andrew Charman