So much for President Trump’s promise that car companies were going to reinvest in the United States. Today Ford Motor Co. announced that 7,000 employees around the company will lose their jobs as part of an organizational revamp.
As a result, 500 Ford workers in the United States are being let go this week, the company says, and another 300 will be laid off this coming August. In total, the car manufacturer says 800 “separations” are expected in the United States.
According to a statement sent to Fast Company, this organizational shift is mostly finished in the U.S. Now, the downsizing will expand to the rest of the world. As a result, 10% of the company’s global workforce–which represents 7,000 people–will be let go by August.
“We understand this is a challenging time for our team, but these steps are necessary to position Ford for success today and yet preparing to thrive in the future,” the statement said.
This comes a few months after General Motors announced sweeping layoffs. As part of its own restructuring, the company told employees it was eliminating 14,000 jobs in North America alone.
Lest we forget the 2016 presidential election, when now-President Trump vowed to keep car manufacturing in the United States. As more factory closures and layoffs have hit the country, unions have begun calling out the president specifically about his failed promise. While the Ford layoffs mostly impact workers outside the United States, they’re a reminder that campaign speeches and tough talk won’t prevent ongoing shifts to the auto sector.
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