DETROIT
GM Layoffs
Continued from Page 1
Layoffs at GM will affect the entire region.
for Manufacturer's National
Bank.
Mr. Littmann predicted
that repair and automobile
upkeep businesses will do
well, and said related large-
ticket durable goods and ap-
pliances will continue to sell.
"It will be a much more
difficult time growing and
reabsorbing employment,"
Mr. Littmann said. "There
will be continued caution in
retailing and no new net
growth expected in Mich-
igan."
Employment will continue
to decline for the next two
years, Mr. Littmann said.
Jewish Federation officials
are concerned how this will
impact the Allied Jewish
Campaign.
"There is a pattern in the
auto industry that for every
one person they lay off, three
jobs are lost in the service
industry," said Federation
President Mark Schlussel.
"That means the layoffs will
equal 300,000 jobs, which
run the gamut from small
suppliers, parts manufac-
turers, steel suppliers.
"The Campaign will be af-
fected in so far as people
have growing concerns with
regard to the core of the
American economy," Mr.
Schlussel said. "This has a
tendency to require us to be
more conservative with our
commitments.
"As the economy continues
to decline, the. Jewish com-
munity will face an increase
in resentment by those who
are less fortunate," Mr.
Schlussel said. "We will
need to reach down in a way
the community has never
done before because we need
to provide for the needy in
our own community who are
becoming more prevalent
than we would like to
believe."
Federation Executive Vice
Piesident Robert Aronson
said he is worried about the
long-term implication of
layoffs and Michigan's busi-
ness climate.
"The real issue is what
will happen to our economy
and to our Campaign in the
long term," Mr. Aronson
said. "Will Detroit ever
return to the boom time it
once enjoyed?"
Mr. Littmann believes the
Jewish community will con-
tinue to be generous "as long
as there are jobs." He does
not expect charitable giving
to increase, but he said it
should remain the same.
Word of massive layoffs
from the world's largest
company and the biggest
employer leaves local Jewish
social service agencies
fragile. At Jewish Family
Service, which has seen an
increased caseload of white
collar, middle-class profes-
"I believe in GM's
future, and I
believe we can
improve the
situation."
Michael Livshitz
sionals, officials are bracing
for further increases in the
Jewish unemployed.
"The layoffs will have an
impact on us," said JFS Ex-
ecutive Director Alan
Goodman. "We will wait un-
til the ax falls. We expect
things to get worse at the
beginning of the year."
Jewish Vocational Service
has had more requests for
service than it can handle in
a timely fashion, according
to Executive Director Al
Ascher. "It is just more of
the same. It is more difficult
to place people and it will get
more difficult."
A few Jewish executives at
GM declined to comment
publicly,but said their jobs
were not at stake. Yet word
of the layoffs — 20,000
salaried and 54,000 hourly
positions — sent chills
through some of the new
Soviet immigrants employed
by GM.
The Soviets interviewed
said they were not too con-
cerned about immediately
losing their white collar jobs,
which would be cut through
attrition, company buyouts
and early retirements.
For Michael Livshitz, 35, a
GM engineer at the Milford
Power and Train Division,
securing a job just six mon-
ths ago at GM was a dream
come true. He was awed by
the size of the auto giant,
and was confident in the
future guaranteed to an
employee of the world's
largest corporation.
No more.
"The first half of 1992 is
going to be unpredictable,"
said Dr. Livshitz, who has a
doctorate in electrical engi-
neering. "But I believe in
GM's future, and I believe
we can improve the situation
at GM."
Veronica Yahkind, 30,
wanted to work for GM ever
since she started college at
Oakland University. First,
she was hired as a summer
intern. Then, after gradua-
tion, she was hired full time.
Eight years later, she is
still with GM.
"It is one of the best places
to be for an electrical engi-
neer," she said. "What is go-
ing on now is painful for a lot
of people, but I believe it is
necessary for GM to regain
its former market share."
Alex Filanovski, 29, has
worked as a body engineer at
GM for three years. Mr.
Filanovski, who works at the
GM Tech Center in Warren,
received his bachelor's and
master's degrees from Oak-
land University. His con-
fidence in GM is unwaver-
ing.
Yet he can not ignore the
impact of foreign competi-
tion and lack of support
among American con-
sumers.
"I used to think I'd have a
job for the next 30 years," he
said. "Now I'm thinking
about the next five to 10
years."
❑
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
25