Ford Motor Company’s plans to boost domestic production could spell job gains for Ohio and some surrounding states. WOSU’s Tom Borgerding reports.
Auto industry analyst, Dennis Virag of Toledo says carmakers’ confidence is building like a “snowball running downhill.” He says pent-up demand for new cars and light trucks will force the industry to ramp up production:
“Not only for Ford, but also for the domestic auto industry, we see 2011 as a good year and we see 2012 as an even better year. So things are looking up.”
And, Virag says Ohio is among a group of Great Lakes states that will see a pick-up in new jobs: “And really, I think the real pick up, in terms of hiring is going to be in the second half of 2011 and in 2012I think we’re going to see a good ramp up of employment during that time frame.”
Virag declined to estimate the number of new jobs the auto industry might add. The Ohio Department of Development says the car and light truck makers employed nearly 77-thousand Ohioans in 2009. The last year figures are available.