Jaguar Land Rover is safeguarding around 2,000 jobs in the West Midlands by the production of its new XJ model, it has been reported.

Every Jaguar job in the region supported five other local ones, car industry group Accelerate told the BBC.

Jaguar has employed 400 staff to work on the production of the new model, saying the XJ was "vital" to helping the manufacturer survive during the recession.

The car will be produced and assembled at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham. Coventry-based firm, Lear, will also benefit from the XJ.

It already makes seats for a number of Jaguar models and the XJ has secured 90 jobs at the site.

Advantage West Midlands regional development agency has funded Accelerate, which is committed to helping the automotive industry in the region during the economic downturn.

Since it started, the group has been hosted by Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, and has been trying to provide the industry with support packages to help it survive the current economic climate.

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