Help wanted: Skilled auto workers

With carmakers in trouble, auto industry jobs in Michigan are scarce. But for some, there are opportunities elsewhere.

By Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As a contracting economy and slowing sales bring the U.S. auto industry to its knees, hundreds of thousands of auto workers find themselves either out of a job, or at risk of losing one.

Year to date, the auto industry has announced 110,610 job cuts, the highest of any industry with the exception of finance, according to a report released Wednesday by global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

On Friday, both General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) and Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) announced additional job cuts going forward.

The Center for Automotive Research, a Michigan think tank, issued a study Wednesday that showed that another 250,000 jobs could be lost in the next year if GM, Ford and Chrysler were forced by the downturn to shutdown half of their U.S. plants.

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mercuryguy - 11/10/2008 10:52:30 AM

+1 Boost

In World War II we sent men to war in Army tanks. Today we send them in passenger vehicles that are unable to sustain explosions.

In World War II, Cadillac converted its plant in Cleveland from building cars to building Army Tanks.

Since the demand for autos is down, lets re-tool and build tanks for the army we need for battle.

Bored - 11/10/2008 12:52:57 PM

+1 Boost

I wish it was that simple.
WWII was a war we were forced into. While we can debate that our current war (let alone debate a true declaration of war) as being necessary, it's lack of planning and execution by the current admin. is its greatest drain on our resources.
Our current economic crisis, or global recession, is not the same as The Great Depression. Remember, factories retooling then were out of necessity to support the war effort and helped bring us out it. We are borrowing BILLIONS from other countries not only to fund our current wars, but our bail out of our economy -- the same borrowing that bailing out AIG will bail out the Detroit 3.

Think about this another way: If the auto plants build tanks and whatnot, what do you think will happen to the excess or simply when the weapons aren't needed or obsolete? Probably gets sold to "developing" countries. Not necessarily bad, but what would stop them from selling it to less than desirable countries because they are cash strapped?

Can't put a band-aid on a bullet wound, right?