Ford Wants to Trim White-Collar Force by 20% Over 5 Years

Ford Motor Co., trying to hold down expenses as sales slump, said Friday that it will try to cut its salaried work force by 20%.

Executive Vice President Alex Trotman, who heads Ford’s North American Automotive Operations, said the cuts would be made over the next five years.

Trotman, speaking after an awards ceremony at an assembly plant, said the 20% figure is an estimate and could change.

He said between 500 and 1,000 positions might be cut. He hoped this could be done through attrition and retirement rather than layoffs.

Trotman said the auto maker’s white-collar work force has grown too large relative to competitors’. The North American automotive operations’ salaried work force numbers about 35,000.

Ford announced earlier this year that it was planning to cut $3 billion from its annual costs worldwide.