Jaguar Land Rover creates 1,100 UK jobs

Jaguar Land Rover has announced it intends to hire a further 1,100 employees to build Jaguar badged cars at its Castle Bromwich operation in the West Midlands.

Announced on the same day that it was confirmed that the UK recession had deepened, with official figures showing the economy shrank by 0.7% between April and June. The news is a welcome shot in the arm for the coalition Government.

Business Secretary Vince Cable, said: “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. This expansion is a clear demonstration of Jaguar Land Rover’s continuing commitment and investment in the UK.”

The Castle Bromwich facility currently builds both the XF and XJ ranges – including the new XF Sportbrake – however the company has ambitious plans for the next five years, with 40 significant product actions in the pipeline.

Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover 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.”