GM to lay off 1,600 hourly workers

General Motors Corp. will lay off about 1,600 hourly workers at three assembly plants, citing the reduced demand for many products, the automaker announced today. The company notified the United Auto Workers on Sept. 29 that it would lay off 700 workers at its Pontiac Assembly plant, about 400 hourly workers at both its Wilmington, Del., Assembly plant and its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant, GM spokesman Tony Sapienza said.

Those jobs cut had not been previously announced publicly.

"This is in direct response to decreasing market demand, which is hitting across the industry," Sapienza said.

At the Pontiac Assembly plant, which produces the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, 700 of the plant's 1,200 hourly workers will be laid off as GM reduces plant output from 55 trucks per hour to 24 trucks per hour.

The cuts will take effect Feb. 2, Sapienza said.