Ford Motor Co. will add 7000 new hourly and salaried jobs, including engineers, between this year and next in the U.S. In 2011 alone, the automaker is adding nearly 4000 hourly jobs at several of its U.S. plants, including 1800 at Louisville Assembly, which is preparing to launch the next-generation Ford Escape in 3Q11. Ford will also add 750 salaried engineering jobs in product development and manufacturing. In 2012, Ford expects to add at least 2500 more new manufacturing positions. The company is recruiting salaried engineers specializing in batteries, system controls, software, and energy storage to work on electric vehicles in Detroit; Boston; Chicago; Cincinnati and Columbus, OH; Milwaukee; Raleigh and Durham, NC; and San Jose, CA. "Working with our partners, including the UAW, Ford is finding competitive ways to engineer and build even more high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles with technologies American consumers really want," said Mark Fields, Ford President, The Americas. The recruitment was announced at the 2011 North American International Auto Show during Industry Preview days.