| In the United States, the Big Three are experiencing | | | | early retirement program to recover from the losses it |
| financial problems due to reduced sales as Japanese | | | | has incurred the past year. |
| brands had increased their stake in the U.S. auto | | | | Last year, Nissan suffered terrible losses and |
| market. These problems have resulted to a massive | | | | especially during the last quarter of 2006. During that |
| workforce reduction. Ford, General Motors and | | | | period, the Japanese brand posted 22 percent |
| Chrysler also closed down plants and reduced working | | | | reduction in terms of sales compared to 2005. It is only |
| hours and production to recover from losses that they | | | | in recent months that Nissan appeared to be gaining |
| suffered. | | | | popularity once again among American car buyers as |
| But the U.S.' Big Three are not the only car companies | | | | their sales figure has been increasing month after |
| which have announced that they will be cutting down | | | | month. This improvement on their sales in the United |
| jobs. Nissan, the third largest Japanese car company, | | | | States may be the result of the turnaround plan being |
| has recently announced that they will be implementing | | | | implemented by Nissan. |
| a voluntary retirement program which will reduce their | | | | Currently, under the restructuring plan, Nissan aims to |
| workforce by as much as 1,500 blue and white collar | | | | sell 4.2 million vehicles all over the world until the year |
| jobs. | | | | 2009. If Nissan's sales performance for the first |
| The said program will commence in June this year. It | | | | months of 2007 is an indication of what's in store for |
| will be available for workers aged 45 years old or | | | | them, the success may act as efficient EBC |
| older and holding non-managerial positions. The said | | | | Greenstuff brake pads are in arresting Nissan's |
| program is the effect of declining domestic sales for | | | | downward slide. |
| Nissan. In Japan, the sale of non-mini vehicles is | | | | One of the reasons for the declining Nissan sales in |
| experiencing a sharp decline as the demand | | | | the United States and in Japan is the scarcity of |
| decreases and the competition grows stronger. | | | | models. This means that consumers have fewer |
| Aside from the retirement program, Nissan will also be | | | | choices with Nissan unlike Honda and Toyota which |
| reducing their production in two of their assembly | | | | offers a wide range of exciting vehicles. In the United |
| plants in Japan. This announcement came after the | | | | States, Nissan's inability to provide hybrid vehicles has |
| Japanese company announced that they will be | | | | hurt them and let Honda and Toyota leave them |
| opening new plants in Japan to meet the demand in | | | | behind. To turn their fate around, Nissan announced |
| the United States. Last September, the woes being | | | | that they will be offering a diesel powered Nissan |
| faced by Nissan led to the closing down of one of the | | | | vehicle in the year 2010. Nissan has also offered a |
| three lines at one of their facility in Southern Japan. In | | | | Nissan Altima Hybrid for the 2007 model year. |
| the United States, Nissan also resorted to offering | | | | |