All About Japan Autos

Many car manufacturers outsource production, thinking it’s the cheapest way to produce cars and maximize profits. Ford, however, is starting a new trend. It’s “in-sourcing” jobs.

“The ‘in-sourcing’ of jobs has always been a key issue for the United Auto Workers as the U.S. auto makers have attempted to hand off more work to suppliers who either aren’t unionized or pay lower union wages,” the Wall Street Journal explains.

The shift in production is a result of partnership between United Auto Workers (UAW) and Ford. “The name of the game is competitiveness, and our UAW partners have found new ways of working together on labor agreements that allow us to bring jobs back to Ford plants and back to America,” said Mark Fields, president of The Americas says in a press release.

By 2010 Ford hopes to continue in-sourcing jobs by adding an additional 635 factory jobs to the 1,340 already returned to the U.S. “So far, Ford has committed to in-sourcing much of its assembly, powertrain, and stamping operations around the country,” egmCarTech explains.

As jobs return to the U.S., both Ford and laid-off workers benefit. Workers get jobs and Ford can ensure plants follow quality standards and begin to regain its all-American reputation. Still, only time will tell if in-sourcing will improve Ford’s domestic reputation and boost sales.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.