While it's not a trend or a sign of a hiring spree, General Motors is actually contracting for 50 auto workers in Brazil at a time when many auto makers are laying off workers.

GM's local subsidiary said in a press release Monday that it was hiring for its assembly plant in Sao Paulo after reaching a labor agreement with a local metal workers union.

GM continues operating normally in Brazil and in other parts of the world despite its massive financial problems and bankruptcy filing in the U.S.

The Chevrolet brand sold 548,941 vehicles in 2008 in Brazil, a record for GM in what has become its third-largest market outside of the U.S. and China.

-By Kenneth Rapoza, Dow Jones Newswires; 55-11-2847-4541, kenneth.rapoza@dowjones.com