GM to cut US, Canadian salaried workers

7/30/2008

DETROIT A General Motors Corp. official says the automaker plans to cut 15 percent of its U.S. and Canadian salaried work force or around 5,100 jobs by Nov. 1.

The GM official declined to confirm the specific numbers Wednesday but indicated they generally were accurate. The official asked not to be named because the company had not planned to release the numbers until later.

GM had said in mid-July that it would cut white-collar costs in the U.S. and Canada by more than 20 percent, but it wouldn't say how many workers would leave.

GM President and Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson said at the time the company hoped most of the cuts would be made through attrition, retirements and buyout offers.