Faced with slumping vehicle demand amid the coronavirus pandemic, Nissan North America is cutting the hours of U.S. salaried employees.
Under a voluntary program, about 9,000 Nissan and Infiniti employees, effective immediately, will be asked to take 10 days off through the end of June, the company said late Monday. Top executives will be excluded.
The automaker will pay employees and provide health care benefits during the downtime, company spokesman Chris Keeffe said. To offset some of the cost, the company plans to tap a federal employee retention credit that is part of the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act approved by Congress in March.
Nissan North America’s U.S. sales dived 30 percent in the first quarter as consumer demand for cars and light trucks fell in the wake of the viral outbreak.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in lower vehicle demand and Nissan is adjusting its business operations in the U.S. in response to this evolving situation,”…
