GM laying off nearly 1,000 workers: source

General Motors is laying off nearly 1,000 workers worldwide, mostly in the US, as it looks to streamline operations, a source told Reuters on Friday.

GM confirmed it had made job cuts but did not specify a number.

"To win in this competitive market, we need to optimise for speed and excellence," the Detroit carmaker said.

"As part of this continuous effort, we’ve made a small number of team reductions."

GM has been seeking to reposition itself as a leader in electric vehicles and software, which are costly. The carmaker is aiming to cut $2bn (about R36,286,116,000) to $4bn (about R72,575,194,800) in losses on electric vehicles next year.

According to a state filing, the reductions include 507 employees at GM's tech centre in Warren, Michigan.

In August, GM laid off more than 1,000 workers in its software department as it worked to streamline the team. GM also laid off about 1,700 workers at a Kansas manufacturing plant in September.

One of its most significant reductions was in 2023, when about 5,000 GM salaried workers took buyouts to leave.

Cost-cutting efforts have intensified across Detroit's carmakers and the global industry as companies race to make EVs profitably and compete with Tesla and China's powerful car companies.

Stellantis laid off thousands of salaried and hourly workers this year, including about 2,450 workers at a Michigan plant in August and 1,100 workers at an Ohio plant earlier this month.

Ford Motor cut shifts at its F-150 Lightning electric pickup plant in Michigan, which will be idled through year-end as the company grapples with weaker than expected demand for the EV.

Global carmakers including Nissan and Volkswagen have also warned of significant layoffs.