“GM Makes Difficult Cut: 1,300 Michigan Workers Laid Off as Vehicle Production Ends

General Motors has made an unwelcome announcement for Michigan residents – they are to lay off 1,300 Michigan employees. The layoffs are being made due to the cessation of production for certain vehicles, in particular, the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala. The vehicles, as well as other discontinued models, will no longer be produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant or the other associated factories. The layoffs come in the wake of the third-quarter report released from GM, which revealed a drop in GM’s profits of nearly 39% from the second quarter. A spokesperson from GM stated that the layoffs were part of an overhaul of their product justification structure, aiming to restructure the product line and focus on higher margin/higher volume offerings. In response, Michigan legislators such as Senator Gary Peters have called on GM to offer retraining or other assistance to the laid-off workers, aimed particularly at younger workers. He requested that GM meet with trade unions and community and state leaders “to develop best-practices to retrain these workers in advanced technologies and new skillsets.” These layoffs have not only been unwelcome news to workers, but communities across the state. They have come at an inopportune time, with Michigan just recently recovering from the economic downturn of a decade ago. It remains to be seen whether GM will be able to keep its promise of helping out the laid-off workers with new employment opportunities.