Automotive contractors have seen higher amounts of work at the start of 2010 than some analysts had anticipated, new figures have suggested.
According to data produced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), sales of new cars hit 145,479 in January 2010, a rise of almost 30 per cent from the same time 12 months ago.
It is the seventh month in a row that sales have increased year-on-year.
The news was welcomed by the SMMT''s chief executive Paul Everitt, who noted that the car scrappage scheme has helped vehicle retailers to overcome the pricing issues caused by the return to the 17.5 per cent VAT rate on January 1st 2010.
However, he warned that sustaining consumer demand when the government scheme comes to an end could harm performance in the second half of the year.
Continued demand for new cars resulted in manufacturer Nissan announcing that it will add 400 new automotive contractors to its payroll over the coming months.
The positions will be based at the company''s Sunderland production line.
Posted by Paul Simon
