Report: Detroit's Big 3 erasing productivity gap

Detroit automakers — and Chrysler in particular — nearly erased the North American productivity gap with their Asian rivals in 2007 thanks to worker buyouts, leaner plants and other improvements, but they still make less money per vehicle because of higher costs, according to the Harbour Report on manufacturing released Thursday.

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General Motors on Thursday said that 19,000 hourly workers — a quarter of a unionized work force that already has been dramatically pared down — have accepted buyouts.

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