The American auto industry is facing a fresh wave of layoffs, and the consequences extend well beyond the gates of Mack Trucks, Volvo, and Stellantis.
Mack Trucks has announced plans to cut up to 350 positions at its Lehigh Valley Operations Center in Lower Macungie Township, Pennsylvania. Volvo Trucks is eliminating another 450 jobs across its facilities in Dublin, Virginia, and Hagerstown, Maryland. Stellantis has confirmed the temporary layoff of 900 employees at its plants in Michigan and Indiana. In total, 1,700 direct jobs are being lost.
At first glance, that number may sound manageable in the context of the national economy. But when it comes to the auto industry, what happens on the assembly line doesn’t stay on the assembly line.