GM buyout offers falls short of goal, layoffs loom

DETROIT: General Motors Corp. says about 6,000 blue-collar workers have taken the latest round of early retirement and buyout offers. But that is apparently not enough to prevent thousands of layoffs.

GM now has about 54,000 factory workers and wants to end the year with 40,500, a cut of about 13,500. That means the offers fell about 7,500 short of the company's goal.

The automaker announced in June that it would close 15 factories employing 22,000 workers by the end of 2012.

Spokeswoman Sherrie Childers-Arb says the number of layoffs has yet to be determined because some workers at closed plants could take open jobs at other factories.

One of the closed factories in Michigan will be reopened to make a new subcompact car.

GM emerged from bankruptcy protection on July 10.