Jaguar Land Rover creates 800 UK jobs
JAGUAR Land Rover will create up to 800 new jobs at its factory in Solihull, it announced yesterday as it revealed record global sales figures for 2012.
The Tata-owned carmaker said the hiring drive has been sparked by its plans for new models this year.
More than 200 of the jobs are supported by the Regional Growth Fund, a £2.46bn pot of state cash used to back employers in parts of the country hit hard by public sector job losses.
The boost for UK industry follows a record year for JLR, in which it sold 30 per cent more cars worldwide.
China became the firm’s largest market after snapping up 71,940 of JLR’s 357,773 vehicles sold in 2012, a rise of 71 per cent.
This has pushed the UK into second place, after sales in its domestic market rose 19 per cent to 68,333.
But other car firms have weathered the rocky economy less well. Honda last week said it would shed 800 jobs in Swindon amid wilting European demand. Honda and Vauxhall have also made cuts.