U.K.-based Admiral Insurance has hired 146 new employees at its call centre in Halifax, according to a company statement released today.

Admiral, which sells private car and household insurance to motorists in the U.K., Spain, Italy, France and the U.S., says the hiring spree represents an 18 per cent increase in Halifax's workforce since January.

The inbound call centre, located at 7067 Chebucto Rd., now has close to 500 staff members, the release said. The office opened in 2007.

"This speaks volumes of how beneficial we are to the firm's operation as a whole," said Alex MacDonald, vice president of Admiral Halifax, in the release.

"Because of the time difference with our U.K. counterparts, we are aligned to be able to service U.K. after-hours customers. The result is continued job growth in Halifax."

New employees will begin as service advisors in the motor insurance division.

Admiral Insurance began in 1993. According to the release, the company earned about $380 million in the first half of 2015, and every staff member will get a bonus of $3,675 worth of shares with a three-year vesting period because of the half-year result.