Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., responding to a $1.44
billion first-half loss, plans to cut an additional 10,000
salaried jobs in North America, a person familiar with the
company`s plans said.
Along with 4,000 salaried jobs the second-largest U.S.
automaker eliminated as part of its ``Way Forward`` strategy in
January, the additional cuts mean Ford will have slashed almost 40percent of its salaried workforce in North America by 2008.
Ford will include its expanded plan for salaried job cuts
when it discloses its third restructuring in five years today at 7
a.m. New York time, the person said. Instead of shedding at least
40,000 jobs in North America and closing 14 plants by 2012, the
company intends to eliminate the jobs by 2008, the person said.
``It`s their Way Forward on steroids; it`s more and faster
with more yet to come,`` said David Cole, chairman of the Center
for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Ford has to make major changes, Cole said, because ``all the
escape routes are sealed off.`` Ford`s job-cutting plans include an agreement with the United Auto Workers union yesterday to offer buyouts of as much as $140,000 to all of its U.S. hourly workers. ``I don`t have any comment,`` said Oscar Suris, a spokesman at the automaker`s headquarters in Dearborn.
``We`ll have more tosay when we make our announcement.``