During July of 2013, more than 8,500 jobs were advertised online in the automotive and automotive parts manufacturing industries in the United States, according to WANTED Analytics, the leading source of real-time business intelligence for the talent marketplace.

With motor vehicle sales growing, manufacturers need to increase production with new technologies, innovative designs and lean production. The number of job ads in auto manufacturing reached a four-year high in July, growing 9 percent compared to one year ago. In addition, hiring increased by more than 250% during the past four years.

Engineering was the most demanded field in July. With more than 3,400 ads last month, this accounts for 40 percent of available positions. Technology related positions were the second most commonly advertised occupational field, with more than 1,300 available jobs at a 17 percent year-over-year increase. The most commonly required skills by auto manufacturers are product design, six sigma/lean manufacturing and software development.

The Detroit metropolitan area leads the US in hiring demand for this industry. More than 2,500 auto manufacturing jobs were available during July, a 35 percent increase from July 2012. Other cities with the most jobs available were Oshkosh (Wis.), Chicago (Ill.), Minneapolis (Minn.), and Toledo (Ohio). Chicago and Minneapolis experienced year-over-year declines in demand, while Oshkosh and Toledo both grew.

With increasing hiring demand and a growing need for engineering and technical professionals, auto manufacturers are likely to experience difficulty when recruiting for open jobs.

The Hiring Scale, which scores jobs from 1 to 99 based on their projected difficulty-to-recruit, scores auto jobs at a 56 on average in the US. This means that Recruiters and employers at auto manufacturers are likely to experience moderate difficulties when sourcing potential candidates for open positions. However, conditions will differ by location, depending on local demand and supply. Some areas that are likely to experience more difficulties include Atlanta (Ga.), Phoenix (Ariz.), and Detroit (Mich.). In these cities, employers are likely to face more competition for a smaller pool of qualified candidates. These three metro areas score higher than average on the Hiring Scale.

The Hiring Scale measures conditions in local job markets by comparing hiring demand and labor supply. The Hiring Scale is part of the WANTED Analytics platform that offers business intelligence for the talent marketplace.