Ford to Bolster Salaried Workforce

Ford plans to hire 2,200 salaried workers in the U.S. this year, its largest increase in salaried workers in more than a decade, to support new product introductions.

The hiring is in addition to the more than 8,100 salaried and hourly workers added in the U.S. in 2012, as the auto maker moves to increase production capacity and expand its engineering ranks. Of the 8,100 new hires, about 1,000 were hourly jobs brought back to Ford plants from other locations.

“We need more people in critical areas, such as in a range of engineering activities, vehicle production, computer software and other IT functions,” Joe Hinrichs, president-The Americas, says in a statement.

To attract new salaried workers, Ford says it will expand its use of social media to meet tech-savvy candidates, utilizing sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. The auto maker also is stepping up its recruiting efforts to reach military veterans.