Toyota to Hire As Many As 4,000 Temp Workers in Japan

Toyota (NYSE:TM) intends to hire 3,000 to 4,000 temporary workers in Japan to help cushion the expected increase in vehicle production as automakers start rebounding from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Anticipating a jump in production by October, Toyota will start recruiting factory workers in July, according to a report by the Associated Press, citing company spokesman Shigehiko Okamura.

Of the 69,000 workers employed by Japan, only about 950 currently are temporary assembly line workers, according to the Associated Press. Temporary workers are on a more flexible contract from full-time employees and often save on costs.

Japanese automakers saw their production fall sharply in March after the disaster caused shortages from suppliers in the northeastern region closest the quakes epicenter.

Toyota said earlier this month that it anticipates a 31% drop in its fiscal 2012 profit from the year-earlier because of the delays, though it has been ramping production at a faster-than-expected rate.