NEW YORK (AFP) - American automaker Ford said on Friday it plans to add 2,200 salaried jobs in the United States (US), its biggest increase in such positions in 10 years.

The number two US automaker said in a statement the new jobs would be primarily in engineering, production, and IT.

The company had previously pledged to add 2,350 hourly workers as it invests in and expands manufacturing plants in the US.

The new jobs are part of how Ford plans to fulfill a promise it made to the United Auto Workers union during contract negotiations to add 12,000 US jobs by 2015.

Ford, which suffered during the 2008 financial crisis, has come back strong after major restructuring and product revamps in North America.

Last year, the company hired 8,100 new employees, in both salaried and hourly positions.

The company emphasised that around 1,000 of the posts were created by bringing back operations that had been done elsewhere, including in Mexico and Japan.

Ford employs some 172,000 people and maintains 65 plants worldwide.