Ford to cut jobs as sales flatten, stock prices fall behind

DETROIT - The Ford Motor Co is getting leaner as it faces an onslaught of challenges, from slowing United States sales, to high-tech challengers, to its own disgruntled shareholders.

The 114-year-old automaker said on Wednesday that it is cutting 1,400 non-factory jobs in North America and Asia-Pacific. The company will offer voluntary early retirement and separation packages to around 10 percent of its salaried workers in departments such as sales, marketing and human resources.

It expects the activity to be completed by the end of September. The cuts are the biggest to Ford's US white-collar staff since 2007, when 7,200 workers took voluntary buyout packages.