JCB says around 200 agency workers are to be handed permanent contracts this summer as demand grows for its construction and agricultural machinery.
The digger maker said it comes after offering around 1,300 permanent contracts to agency employees since last year and after the business increased its shop floor starting pay by 8.5 per cent to £11.35 an hour.
JCB said demand had reached historic highs this year with many products already sold out for the remainder of the year.
It has already increased its workforce by almost 300 people this year at its 11 UK plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Wrexham, which now employ around 8,000 people between them.
JCB chief operating officer Mark Turner said he was thrilled to announce 200 more permanent contracts – having himself joined JCB as an agency worker more than 30 years ago. He subsequently rose through the ranks to run JCB manufacturing businesses in the UK and overseas, including India.
He said: “Demand for JCB’s construction and agricultural products remains very strong and that means we have been able to offer 1,300 agency colleagues permanent JCB contracts since last year.
“I am thrilled to be able to build on this position by offering permanent contracts to an additional 200 agency employees once we return from the summer break.
“We have great confidence in the future and there are immense opportunities to progress at JCB by joining us as an agency employee.”
