Google to hire more than 6,200 workers this year

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google Inc. plans to hire more than 6,200 workers this year in the biggest expansion yet by the Internet's most profitable company.

The hiring spree will likely be welcomed by President Barack Obama, who is expected to emphasize the need for more jobs during his State of the Union address tonight. Google CEO Eric Schmidt was among a group of business leaders who met with Obama last month to discuss ways to bolster the listless economy.

But Google's push to further expand a work force that grew by 23 percent last year may not be as well received on Wall Street, where the Internet search leader's spending has annoyed some investors who would prefer a more frugal approach in hopes of fatter returns.

Google executives have consistently brushed aside those concerns, saying that the company needs to aggressively recruit the smartest computer engineers and most persuasive sales representatives to maintain its lead in online search and advertising, as well as to diversify into other services in computing, telecommunications and the media.