Rheinmetall will hire more employees in the next 2.5 years than in the previous ten
Rheinmetall plant in Unterlüs (photo: EPA)

German defense concern Rheinmetall plans to increase its staff by 30% to 40,000 employees by 2027, reports The Wall Street Journal.

If the goal is achieved, Rheinmetall will hire more employees in the next two and a half years than it has done in the last ten years, the newspaper notes.

The defense concern plans to recruit workers laid off from the automotive industry and other large companies to fill vacancies within capacity expansion.

This year, the company is going to post about 8,000 vacancies worldwide, which is 8% more than last year. And about half of them are new.

Rheinmetall is looking for electrical and mechanical engineers, software developers and project managers, as well as skilled workers such as machine and plant operators, welders and aircraft mechanics.

"I see a positive wave towards the defense industry, mainly because of the reputation, because of the realization of its purpose in Germany. The change in mindset is enormous, especially in the last two to three years," said Monika Wertheim, Head of Global Human Resources Operations at the company.

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger also boasted of the company's success in recruiting.

Last week, he told investors that the company would increase its target sales volume by 2030 from 40 to 50 billion euros. Last year, Rheinmetall's sales amounted to €9.8 billion.

"We are very attractive right now. This is our biggest advantage," said Papperger.

The war in Ukraine has increased the popularity of defense industry in Germany, in contrast to previous decades when many questioned the need for investment in the military. This coincided with the job cuts in other sectors that have historically been large employers, such as the automotive industry.