--- Eubulides <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Some Lost Jobs May Never Come Back > Improved Productivity Allowed Manufacturers to > Reduce Payrolls Permanently > > By John M. Berry > Washington Post Staff Writer > Saturday, November 29, 2003; Page E01 snip to here:
In the past five years alone, GM has cut the amount of labor required to assemble a vehicle by 30 percent, to just 24.44 hours, according to the Harbour Report, which tracks such data for the industry. ****************************************************** I find that 24.44 hours per vehcile figure fascinating. It's an average, of course as there are all kinds of vehicles being assembled and they are being assembled in various locations on the planet, including, of course, just across the border in Mexico. I wonder what the average wage of a GM worker is. Even if it is $100 per hour, it falls far short of the average price of a GM vehicle. I wonder what that is, the average price. I wouldn't be surprised if it was $15,000 these days. I wonder what the average amount of fixed capital is which is "depreciated" (I don't know how else to put it) into an average vehicle. It must be a pretty penny. Speed up aside, I assume that worker efficiency has gone up because of the availability more sophisticated means of production. Regards, Mike B) ===== ***************************************************************** ‘My other piece of advice, Copperfield,’ said Mr. Micawber, ‘you know. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds ought and six, result misery. The blossom is blighted, the leaf is withered, the god of day goes down upon the dreary scene, and — and in short you are for ever floored. As I am!’ Charles Dickens' DAVID COPPERFIELD http://profiles.yahoo.com/swillsqueal __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/
