A new report published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has highlighted the current positive performance of the nation's automotive industry.

According to the organisation's 15th annual Automotive Sustainability Report, an estimated additional 44,000 jobs were created within the industry during 2013, bringing the total number of people employed within the UK automotive sector to more than 750,000.

Furthermore, manufacturing-specific roles grew by 16,000 positions during the year to a total of 140,000.

It was not just growth in employment that served to bolster the performance of the UK automotive industry last year though, with sector turnover rising by 10.2 per cent from levels witnessed in 2012 to £64.1 billion.

Research and development spending also grew for the UK's automotive manufacturers and suppliers in 2013, with a 9.7 per cent increase for the year to £1.9 billion.

Green commitments for the industry also came to the fore during the last year, with just 3.5 kg of waste now being sent to landfill per vehicle built in the UK – a 91.3 per cent reduction from levels recorded in 1999.

Overall, the last 15 years were also shown to have seen a 26 per cent reduction in the amount of energy required to produce a new vehicle.

It was not all positives to be highlighted by the report though, as it also revealed how a number of challenges for the industry remain, including the recruitment of skilled staff and the re-shoring of the nation's supply chain.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes commented: "The UK automotive industry contributes hugely to the country's economic health by building millions of vehicles, engines and components here every year and employing hundreds of thousands of people.

"The progress made by the industry over the past year alone is hugely important. Growing our skills base and encouraging more automotive suppliers to base their businesses in the UK is now essential for us to maintain this positive momentum."