It's pretty much the story around here, I know a formerly well to do GM plant construction engineer that's managing a day care center. Get that degree or get used to wearing paper hats and working the fryers.

The plus side is the communities with good workforces are going to be rewarded with new plants and jobs. Lansing has the best GM workforce in the country and when the new plants are completed they will be hiring, although I doubt GM is going to bring back those cushy $100k jobs anytime soon. The UAW is cutting it's own throat in a sense because when a person hires into GM and finishes the 90 probation period they get paid the same as the guy who has been on the line for 20 years....in other words there is no pay tier.

OTOH, many cities cut their own throat by continuing to offer incentives to the auto industry in lieu of searching for other industries. Grand Rapids used to be the furniture capital but it has emerged into the insurance sector and the result is high rise buildings and a booming economy.