BMW Group Looks Back On A Successful Year: Over 2,500 New Jobs In Germany

• Demand for BMW cars way above the industry average - Also in the BMW plant

• Spartanburg/USA over 1,000 new jobs - Additional shifts in all German BMW plants

BMW Z3

Photo: BMW

Munich, Germany - The success of the BMW brand is creating new jobs. Instead of the 1,000 new openings announced in the summer of 2000, the BMW Group has created over 2,500 new jobs this year in Germany alone, mainly in Research and Development, Production and Sales. Similarly, demand for the BMW Sports Activity Vehicle X5 is so high that over 1,000 new staff have been taken on in the plant in Spartanburg, USA.

The success of the BMW Group is thus in stark contrast to its competitors in the rest of the automobile industry who have had to slow down production or cut jobs because of the fall in demand.

In addition, a total of 38 additional shifts have been introduced in the German BMW plants. In the Munich and Regensburg factories, production lines ran all through the summer holidays, and there has also been no break in production in Regensburg between Christmas and New Year.

The BMW Group has also continued its apprentice training offensive. Over 1,100 apprentices -100 more than in the previous year- started their training with the BMW Group in the year 2000. Altogether, the BMW Group employs 3,313 apprentices in over 40 professions.

Staff planning for the year 2001 also reflects this positive trend: "BMW is one of the most popular employers both for engineers and IT specialists and for skilled workers", says Ernst Baumann, Member of the Board and Personnel Director of the BMW Group. "BMW is a strong brand that exerts a massive fascination. We are therefore in the happy position not only of being able to create new jobs but also being able to fill these with highly qualified staff."

(Dec. 28, 2000)