The auto industry's rapid stabilization doesn't mean the industry is simultaneously cranking out new jobs like it once did.

But the industry — seeking engineers, alternative powertrain experts and product developers — is hiring again. It's a sign that the companies have a little cash to play with, even if a conservative outlook is still prudent.

As the 2011 Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress opens Tuesday in Detroit, it's impossible not to celebrate the auto industry's stability.

The Chevrolet Cruze is one of several vehicles that should help the domestic car companies appeal to cost-conscious consumers even as gasoline prices continue to rise.

Less than two years removed from the bankruptcy filings of General Motors and Chrysler, the health of the auto industry is nothing short of remarkable.

Here are five key signs that the domestic auto industry's hiring freeze is thawing:

1. Some 35 companies, including GM, Ford and Chrysler, are seeking job applicants during the SAE career fair this week, according to the Detroit News. That's up from 17 last year.

2. The domestic automakers have bolstered their alternative powertrain offerings over the last few years, which should mitigate their exposure to escalating gasoline prices. In 2008, the domestic auto crisis intensified when consumers sought out fuel-efficient car options in the wake of sky-high gas prices — and the domestic car companies had few fuel-sipping products to offer. That's since changed. For example, GM introduced the Chevrolet Cruze, and Ford released the Fiesta. Both are stylish, fuel efficient and competitive with foreign automakers.

3. Foreign automakers are facing surprising image problems, which undercuts their ability to take away market share from the Big Three. Toyota seems to have mostly recovered from its 2010 recall crisis after federal investigators determined that sudden acceleration issues were not related to the electronics in its vehicles. But the car company is now facing mounting criticism from critics who say it has failed to introduce any interesting new vehicles in recent years.

The company responded by reshuffling its executive leadership in an attempt to regain its creative luster. Meanwhile, Nissan is facing more questions about the quality of its new electric car, the Leaf. The company said today that, in some instances, Leaf owners are having trouble starting their car.

4. Michigan's economy is adding jobs and that can only happen if the auto industry has stabilized. Manufacturing of all types now accounts for only about 1 in 10 Michigan jobs, which means that Michigan cannot count on the industry to drive a major recovery. However, the industry must be stable for the rest of Michigan to grow, U-M economists Don Grimes and George Fulton have said. The good news is that Michigan's economy has stabilized, in no small part due to the auto industry. U-M economists project that Michigan will add 126,100 jobs in 2011 and 2012.

5. Of the new jobs Michigan is expected to add over the next two years, about one-third will come from the auto industry, according to details of a new Center for Automotive Research study obtained by columnist Rick Haglund.

A key caveat here: The difference between the auto jobs of today and the auto jobs of old is that in today's market, you need an education to get a job.

As David Cole, chairman emeritus of Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research, likes to point out, new assembly line workers must typically have at least a two-year associate's degree now.

“There’s no factory jobs for high school dropouts,” Cole recently said.

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.