As many people know, due to more competition and the advancement of technology, it has caused the demise of other retail stores, such as Toys "R" Us, which closed its doors a while ago. Companies such as Sears and Game Stop are struggling mightily.
Businesses such as Apple and Amazon have been able to take advantage of their market and reap the profits. Other companies, however, have not been doing as well as them, as popular American car manufacturer General Motors plans to slash about 14,000 jobs and close down many facilities and assembly plants.
The cuts
General Motors seems to be going in a different direction, but not a favorable one, as the company plans to cut many jobs and close down various plants. Many know what will happen to them, as they will lose their jobs at a company that they have most likely worked at for a long time. According to an article by NBC News, the company plans to cut about "14,000 jobs from North American workforce."
The move will be eliminating about 15 percent of its workforce and cost up to about "14,700 jobs" cut. The cuts are seen by the brand as a change in vehicles as there are more options such as electrically powered ones and self-driving ones. Self-driving cars still need to be developed and tested, as accidents have happened in the past.
GM sees that a lot of people are purchasing SUVs over smaller cars, such as sedans and coupes, which makes sense, realistically, as the company is known for its stylish big cars over the smaller ones. People in today's society can also be seen driving bigger cars than in the past, as it is seen as safer and more luxurious.
Mary Barra, who is the GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, spoke on the fact of adapting to the changing market as she states: "We recognize the need to stay in front of changing market conditions and customer preferences to position our company for long-term success."
According to an article from CNN, GM is battling the increased costs on tariffs of imported steel and aluminum.
Donald Trump's administration could also make more changes to make the parts more costly. Along with this, GM will be shutting down plants in many places, such as Detriot, Ohio, Maryland, and more.
The decision seems to be made out of safety
General Motors seems to be making this decision in order to avoid any risk of going bankrupt again, as that is what happened about eight years ago, according to the article by NBC News.
The company is making changes before anything gets out of hand and before it loses a huge profit in the ever-changing market.
GM is not the only car company set to make changes, as Ford also plans to eliminate jobs and make different cars. Toyota recalled more than a million vehicles back in September due to a fire risk.
Self-driving cars seem to be all the rage now, as various companies, such as Uber, Google, and Tesla are investing in the new vehicles. Anything that is more convenient is appealing to the average American.
GM’s self-driving unit Cruise is expanding to Seattle https://t.co/bLqWGajNuw by @kirstenkorosec
— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) November 19, 2018
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— General Motors (@GM) November 20, 2018