Google going on hiring binge in 2011

Google is planning to hire more than 6,000 new workers in 2011 and will grow to more than 30,000 employees by the beginning of 2012.

The bold plan shows that Google is bullish about its chances as it engages in fierce competition with Silicon Valley giants such as Apple and with upstarts such as Facebook for fast-growing new areas such as mobile and social networking beyond its core business of search. Hiring will be spread across the new initiatives. Many of the jobs will be at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View (CA); 1,000 workers will be added in Europe. Google added 4,565 workers in 2010, a 23% jump and the largest since its hiring binge in 2007, when it added 6,100 workers. So analysts were not surprised that Google planned on pumping up hiring in 2011.