BERLIN, April 23 (Reuters) - Tesla will create 1,000 new jobs at its ‌German gigafactory by the end of ‌June in order to increase weekly production by ​about 20% from the third quarter, a spokesperson said on Thursday.

The decision is a direct response to increased demand for ‌the Model ⁠Y, and recruitment for the plant in Gruenheide near Berlin is ⁠scheduled to begin in May, the spokesperson added.

As part of the production ramp-up, ​around 500 ​employees on ​temporary contracts are expected ‌to be taken on permanently in the course of this year.

The spokesperson said that separately, a search had begun for several hundred new employees for battery ‌cell production, which is ​scheduled to start in ​the first ​half of 2027.

The Gruenheide plant, ‌which employs around 11,500 ​staff, is ​Tesla's only gigafactory in Europe, a market where the U.S. electric vehicle ​pioneer has ‌faced dwindling market share.

(Reporting by Christina ​Amann, Writing by Friederike Heine, Editing ​by Madeline Chambers)