It’s one of the most popular brands produced by Stellantis, formerly known as Fiat Chrysler. So why are 1,600 workers at a Jeep plant in Belvidere, IL on the cusp of losing their jobs?
Unfortunately we’re seeing the fallout from a global computer chip shortage hitting greater extremes. Earlier this month, Stellantis attributed losses of about 11% in Q1 to semiconductor shortages that impacted production rates.
At the time, Stellantis suggested it would get worse in the second quarter and it seems we’re seeing a preview, as last week the company said it would be cutting an entire shift at the Belvidere plant in late July.
What’s worse is that this particular plant has already been sitting idle since March, an approach that’s also been taken by many Stellantis competitors who have struggled to maintain production levels without access to critical parts.
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