Less than 40% of people vote in the midterm elections... but 100% of them will itch about the results and what their governor and local officials do.

Join us in guilting... err... inspiring everyone to vote this midterm by staying informed.
Michigan

AI Hits Automaker Jobs Hard in Michigan

By
Brandon Carlson
June 4, 2026

When we think of workers at the Big 3 car manufacturers in Detroit, we typically think of the blue collar, normal, everyday men and women on the factory floor who build the cars we buy off the lot. But there's also an army of white collar, normal, everyday men and women who sit behind desks doing things like design and finance. Automation has come for a lot of blue collar jobs over time, but now AI is coming hard for those white collar jobs, too. GM, Ford, and Stellantis have cut lots of those white collar jobs recently as AI and new tech change how cars get designed and built.

‍

Here are Five Fast Facts about AI-driven layoffs at the Big 3:

  1. 🤯 Peak Jobs - When things peaked in 2022, the combined white-collar army at these three companies reached 102k jobs, but that number plummeted down to under 89k by the end of last year. That's a lot of empty cubicles and coffee mugs!
  1. 🪑 Not Peak Jobs - Those 20k+ jobs cut were about 19% of their combined white-collar workforce. If office chairs could cry, they'd need tissues because of loneliness.
  1. 👀 General Mayhem - General Motors leads the pack, reducing by roughly 11k positions from 2022 through last year. This is a classic case of bigger definitely not being better!
  1. 🤖 Risk And Shift - Automakers face the same AI issues as other white collar industries - repetitive tasks are most likely to be replaced, and growth will be in high tech (autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity, and software), so the jobs will shift to match. So say goodbye to data-entry gremlins and hello to robot wranglers.
  1. 👍 Silver Lining - There is good news, though. The Big 3 currently have over 2k open positions. A big chunk of those are for people who know how to use AI to help workers work better. So consider upgrading from spreadsheets to algorithms, and you've got yourself a shiny new career!

🔥Bottom line: The industry is undergoing a major transformation. Traditional white collar jobs are shrinking as automakers invest in AI and advanced technology, but new opportunities are opening for workers with the right skills. Make sure you're not out in the cold with the wrong skill set!

‍

Are you one of those robot wranglers?

‍

Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram! Also, remember to share this newsletter with your friends & coworkers!

‍

BTW, If you’ve read this far and haven’t yet signed up for the weekly Paycheckology newsletter, CLICK HERE!

‍

NewsletterPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie Preferencesterms of ServiceAdvertise with us
© 2022 Paycheckology. All rights reserved.