Carmakers' Rebound is Driving Jobs in U.S.

Where Every Car and Truck Sold in North America is Built

Washington DC August 26, 2011; The AIADA newsletter reported that Honda Motor Co. is making $355 million of upgrades at plants in Ohio where it opened its first After a massive restructuring and several high-profile bankruptcies, a leaner, more aggressive auto industry is making a comeback, hiring workers and ramping up manufacturing plants, according to the Los Angeles Times.

And it's not just the Detroit manufacturers that are thriving. Nissan, VW, and other internationally-based firms are expanding in the United States, putting billions of dollars into building and refurbishing plants.

Start-ups Tesla Motors in Palo Alto, Calif., Fisker Automotive in Anaheim, Calif., and Coda Automotive in L.A. are hiring and spending hundreds of millions of dollars designing and launching electric and hybrid vehicles.

Auto dealers are having a banner year, making more money per sale than they have in years and hiring back some workers shed during the recession. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that orders for autos and auto parts jumped 11.5 percent in July, the most in eight years. Including factories, suppliers and dealers, the U.S. auto industry employs about 1.7 million workers and supports an additional 6.3 million private-sector jobs, according to the Center for Automotive Research. The center said those positions represent more than $500 billion in annual compensation and more than $70 billion in personal tax revenue.