More than 6,000 U.S. hourly workers have accepted the latest round of early retirement and buyout offers from General Motors Corporation (GM), but the number was short of the automaker's goal, meaning that more layoffs are likely. GM said the latest round of buyouts has taken the total number of its U.S. factory workers to 48,000. The automaker wants to end the year with 40,500 factory workers, meaning that 7,500 additional workers could lose their jobs. Since 2006, about 66,000 U.S. hourly workers have left GM through buyouts and retirement packages as the company sought to restructure amid slowing sales and growing losses.
