Mazda Shops for Engineers in Japan

Mazda Motor Corp. says it will more than triple the number of engineers it hires in Japan during the fiscal year that begins April 1.

The company plans to hire 185 engineers in the coming year compared with 50 during the current fiscal year. Mazda also expects to hire 30 administrative and clerical workers, up from 10 this year.

The buildup is possible because the company finally reversed four years of losses with a 34.3 million-yen ($333 million) net profit for the year ended last March 31. The company predicts its net for the current fiscal year will climb to a record 110 billion yen ($1.1 billion).

Mazda says much of the added engineering capacity will be devoted to evolving model-wide implementation of the company's Skyactiv system of efficient powertrains and chassis.