JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- The Toyota plant in northeast Mississippi announced Monday that it's starting to accept applications for hourly production and skilled maintenance jobs.

The plant at Blue Springs is scheduled to open in the fall of 2011, making the Corolla sedan. Toyota has said the plant will have about 2,000 employees once it hits full operation in 2012.

The Mississippi Department of Employment Security is handling online applications for the Toyota jobs.

David Copenhaver, vice president of administration at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, Inc., said the start of hiring for hourly jobs is a "milestone."

Last month, about 5,000 people applied for 37 salaried positions at the plant.