DETROIT, July 18 (UPI) -- Ford Motor Co. reportedly expects to eliminate up to 2,000 white-collar jobs in North America later this year.
Ford executives, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told the Detroit Free Press the cost-cutting is needed to meet long-range targets, part of a global effort to shave salary-related expenses by 10 percent, less than half coming from job cuts.
The No. 2 automaker has about 45,000 salaried positions in North America.
Chairman and CEO William Clay Ford Jr. told his top executives late last month that they would have to accelerate cost-cutting to keep the company's 5-year revitalization plan on track in light of heavy competition, falling market share and record incentives.
Ford told the executives: "Even if the outside world gets worse, we have to meet our targets."
Ford formally opened contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers Friday.
