Honda Motor Co. plans to increase hiring of new graduates as expected record earnings prompt it to strengthen research and development.
The company plans to hire 1,470 new graduates from high schools, colleges and professional schools in the year starting in April 2009, up 9.7 percent from a planned 1,340 next business year, it said Tuesday. The number of new engineers will rise 19 percent to 830, it said.
With the new employees, Honda will have hired more than 1,000 people annually in Japan for three straight years as it accelerates development of new models. Honda last month forecast that net income will rise 17 percent to a record ¥690 billion for the year ending March 31.
