
GM Is Now Detroit’s Smallest Auto-Making Employer - danans
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-29/once-giant-gm-is-now-detroit-s-smallest-auto-making-employer
======
AmVess
They are pushing production and engineering to anywhere not the USA, so this
trend of having fewer workers isn't going to stop until all that's left of GM
is the headquarters. I'm not Chicken-Littling either. This trend has been many
decades in the making, and it only has one logical endpoint.

I was looking at their trucks, and left the showroom when I saw one that had
45% domestic content. I bought a truck that had the most USA content...a Honda
Ridgeline.

~~~
wcunning
Oooph, as someone in the automotive industry, I would avoid that thing like
the plague. Have you checked the recall for going through the car wash causing
that truck to light on fire[0]? One burned down at my neighborhood convenience
store a couple of weeks ago... I would much much much more readily trust the
engineering of GM on trucks, but that's probably only meaningful if you
actually intend to tow something. I have a Ford truck, but that's mostly due
to rust concerns in the Southeast Michigan area.

All of this is to say that I would trust the domestic manufacturers on
anything truck related before I would trust one of the foreign companies,
Toyota definitely included. It's simply a matter of core competency,
regardless of percentage of US content.

[0] [https://www.consumerreports.org/car-recalls-defects/honda-
ri...](https://www.consumerreports.org/car-recalls-defects/honda-ridgeline-
recalled-over-fuel-pump-issue/)

~~~
stankal
2015 Silverado owner, my first “American” car. Got it new, now have 75k miles
on it. Went with an American brand because of “they know trucks”. So far,
replaced catalytic converter, have a driver seat that shifts when I turn right
(quoted $800 to fix), have a touch screen that works when it wants and goes
crazy switching between views on its own (dealer said they can replace it for
$1000, but the new one may start doing the same because they have problems,
those were service reps words), just a couple of weeks ago had a brake vacuum
pump go bad (lost breaking power luckily just after exiting highway, $630
replacement)

Yeah it pulls a camper well but what good is that if brakes give out.

~~~
Krasnol
According to the page OP provided here:

> The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LD and GMC Sierra 1500 Limited, both carryover
> models from the prior generations, come from Canada.

[https://www.cars.com/articles/cars-coms-2019-american-
made-i...](https://www.cars.com/articles/cars-coms-2019-american-made-index-
what-about-the-least-american-cars-404549/)

~~~
hansthehorse
I bought a brand new 1969 Chevelle SS and it was made in Canada.

------
rmason
It is true for Detroit, but GM is still the largest auto employer in Michigan.
Lots of jobs at three plants in the state capital of Lansing and a handful in
Flint and Grand Rapids.

------
tempsy
I’m mostly positive about Andrew Yang but it’s frustrating to know he would
point to something like this and scream “automation” when GM’s downsizing has
more to do with outsourcing and a slowing market than anything remotely
related to robots taking over jobs.

~~~
fastball
What's the difference between automation and outsourcing when what you care
about is American's losing jobs and not having a backup?

~~~
Nasrudith
They are subtle but there. Automation means the productivity is local - albeit
concentrated in the automatees and implies an upwards trajectory to quality -
giving a competitive edge. The industry is still there and likely growing
stronger and more concentrated in skill.

Outsourcing implies going to the lowest bidder and less investment locally
with fewer peripheral jobs. It is also "brute force" and commoditization.
Inevitably the destination nation will develop competition which may be able
to compete with the abroad nation who will have little special on them. It
risks the loss of the industry even as an outsourcer.

------
vgoh1
Wow, Chrysler has made quite the turn-around, I just noticed from that chart.
10 years ago, I expected them to be out of business by now with their low
reliability (which I believe is still one of the lowest). Chrysler has a
pretty terrible reputation, but their minivans have a good reputation (I know,
I own one with 90k miles, and it's an amazing value and has been very
reliable). The Jeep brand is killing it, lots of die hard fans of the
nameplate. They also made a good move rebranding Dodge Rams to just Ram.

------
InfiniteRand
One thing that makes these employment numbers a little questionable is that
car manufacturers are mostly component assemblers, with differing amounts of
components made in-house vs bought from other companies which may be US
companies or might not be.

I know this is true for a lot of things, but my occasional experience with the
auto-industry gives me the sense that it is more true for the auto industry
than other places.

------
W-Stool
I wonder how GM would compare to IBM, another once great USA engineering and
employment leader?

------
pteredactyl
Sounds like they need another check from the US government.

------
tastygreenapple
If GM were grateful for their bailout, how many employees would they have in
detroit?

~~~
froindt
We're a decade past the bailout. How long after paying back the government
would be acceptable to outsource production?

~~~
masonic
They'll never pay it all back:

[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-gm-treasury-
idusbre...](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-gm-treasury-
idusbrea3t0mr20140430)

You have to count the losses from the Motors Liquidation Company half of the
split.

------
phjesusthatguy3
Of the "Detroit three", GM is the only one based in Detroit. Ford world
headquarters are in Dearborn, Chrysler is in Auburn Hills.

~~~
MaconBacon
They've been building Fords in The Rouge for over a hundred years. It's less
than 10 miles away from Detroit city center.

I'm not sure your nitpicking distinction really matters here...

~~~
phjesusthatguy3
The Rouge? The plant in Dearborn?

Oh, okay.

~~~
MaconBacon
This is like saying Brooklyn is not New York City. This is silly shit.

~~~
phjesusthatguy3
Dearborn isn't Detroit. I don't know why y'all are upset about this.

I mean, I do, being from Detroit myself. I just don't know why you got this
twisted.

(Grand River & Five Mile)

~~~
jchw
Also from Detroit. Dearborn is in Metro Detroit. I don’t know anyone who would
nitpick this.

