Third shift to add 1,400 GM jobs

LORDSTOWN — About 1,400 jobs are being added to at the General Motors complex here so it can churn out more fuel-efficient small cars.

A midnight shift, which was eliminated in 2006, will return Aug. 4, GM said Monday. That’s about one month earlier than GM had announced two weeks ago.

“With gas prices, small cars will continue to sell well, and we’re reacting to that,” said Chris Lee, a GM spokesman.

GM’s earlier announcement didn’t include the number of jobs to be added to the plant that produces the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5.

Lee said GM wouldn’t know until July how many new workers would be hired. There also will be transfers from other GM plants and from Delphi Corp.

For more information, see Tuesday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.