Construction equipment firm JCB is recruiting more than 400 staff at its factories in the UK as it looks to ramp up production.
Last year it halted output at factories globally in the aftermath of the pandemic.
However, it said that the market for construction equipment has rebounded sharply.
As a result it is recruiting in the UK more than 400 additional agency employees in a variety of jobs including assembly, welding and fork lift truck drivers.
JCB currently has 11 sites in the UK at Wrexham , Derbyshire and Staffordshire, with a total workforce of 6,500.
Globally it has 22 factories.
It has also confirmed it is giving permanent contracts to up to 300 existing agency employees, including welders, fabricators and CNC machinists.
JCB chief operating officer Mark Turner said: “In March 2020 our orders dramatically disappeared overnight when the Covid-19 pandemic took hold and while we were able to protect our shop floor workforce, regrettably many staff positions were impacted. It took more than six months for the business to recover to production levels we last saw in March 2020.
“This year has started strongly and our forecasts predict a continued solid recovery, with strong demand from mainland Europe and North America.
“This means we are now in a position to recruit many more shop floor colleagues and offer permanent JCB contracts to a large number of existing agency employees. After a tumultuous 12 months, this really is good news.”
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