German Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged to help General Motors' Opel unit find assistance after her economy minister rejected a request for aid, AP reported. Merkel said today that «the last word on the future of Opel naturally has not been spoken» on aid for Opel, adding that she would speak to state leaders on Thursday about how to help the automaker. Opel employs roughly 24,000 people in Germany. Economy Minister Rainer Bruederle on Wednesday said the government would not grant Opel ¤1.1 billion ($1.2 billion) in loan guarantees it had sought to aid with restructuring.