Jaguar Land Rover to create 1,100 UK jobs


Jaguar Land Rover has announced the creation of more than 1,100 new jobs at its Castle Bromwich plant in the UK.

The company, which is the UK's largest automotive employer, will expand its workforce at the West Midlands-based advanced manufacturing facility to support the launch of new Jaguar models. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) said the launch of the new models will also support thousands of jobs in the UK supply chain.

JLR's Castle Bromwich facility currently manufactures the Jaguar XF, XK and XJ models, and exports nearly 80 per cent of its production to 101 markets worldwide. This year, the Castle Bromwich plant will manufacture the new 2013 Model Year XF and XJ ranges.

JLR currently has two engineering and design facilities and three advanced manufacturing plants in the UK.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover’s CEO, said: "Innovation in design, engineering and technology is at the core of our business and for the UK, this means we will continue to invest in new products, develop new technologies and enhance the skills of our 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."

Commenting on the new jobs, Des Thurlby, HR Director at JLR said: "We have embarked on the most ambitious recruitment campaign in the company's history, hiring 8,000 people in the last two years. We provide high quality training and development for all of our employees so this latest announcement for 1,100 jobs is great news for the West Midlands and the UK supply chain."

In the first six months of this year, Jaguar sold more than 29,000 vehicles globally, an increase of 19 per cent from the same period last year.

In the 2011/12 fiscal year, JLR achieved record profits of £1.5 billion, an increase of £392 million when compared to the previous year.