Ford Motor to trim US workforce by 1,400; offer early retirement incentives

Ford Motor Co. will offer early retirement incentives with hopes of cutting its US white-collar workforce by 1,400 more positions.

Kumar Galhotra, the company's president of the Americas, told employees about the offers Wednesday morning. The company says they're part of an $11 billion restructuring plan that started more than a year ago.

Most of the reductions would take place in the area of Dearborn, Michigan, where Ford has its headquarters and large product development and engineering operations. A spokesman says Ford expects to meet its goals with the offers. If it doesn't, then it may consider involuntary separations.

The offers will go to U.S. salaried workers who are eligible to retire as of December 31. Those approved to retire would leave the company by the end of the year.

The offers won't go out in every part of the business. For instance, information technology workers and those responsible for rolling out new vehicles will not be affected.

Ford has about 30,000 white-collar workers in the U.S.