General Motors shakes up workforce with Michigan factory job cuts

As a leading automobile manufacturer in the U.S., General Motors stated that it is planning to downsize the workforce in two of its Michigan-based car factories at the beginning of January. The reductions, which will impact around 1,300 employees, are directly tied to the re-establishment of manufacturing processes within these plants, as noted by Reuters.

It has been revealed by Reuters that 945 employees from the Orion Assembly plant will face layoffs. As the production of the Chevy Bolt EV model comes to a close, the facility is being re-engineered to begin production of electric trucks. The new line should be operational towards the end of 2025. According to General Motors, the final run of the Bolt model at the Orion plant is scheduled for the upcoming week.

At the same time, 350 of the 1400 employees currently working at the Grand River factory in Lansing face job losses due to the termination of the Chevrolet Camaro production line. Notwithstanding, the facility will keep up the manufacturing of the Cadillac CT4 and Cadillac CT5 models. Reuters reported GM's assurance that the hourly workers affected by this business decision would receive job propositions from other company factories.

General Motors acknowledged in October that the manufacture of electric pickups at the Orion facility will be deferred by a year. Consequently, these layoffs will affect all production employees at the plant. Original plans saw the Detroit carmaker aiming to roll out electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models by the end of 2024 from a suburban Detroit factory.

The delay according to Mary Barra, GM's CEO, would permit the company to implement engineering adjustments and other modifications to enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their truck production line, potentially leading to increased profitability as scooped by Reuters.