GM plans to lay off 1,000 software engineers

General Motors is planning to lay off more than 1,000 software engineers, as the auto giant moves to consolidate its software and services ecosystem.

According to a person familiar with the matter, more than 600 of the layoffs will be in Warren, Michigan, CNBC reported.

The moves come two months after two former Apple executives, David Richardson and Paris Cetinok, were promoted to senior vice president positions at the company.

The American company said in a statement on Monday: “As we build the future of the company, we must simplify for speed and excellence, make bold choices, and prioritize investments that will have the greatest impact,” confirming the layoffs without specifying how many people will be affected.

The company declined to say how much the layoffs will reduce its overall workforce in the software engineering department.

GM is developing in-car software that powers more core systems, from battery management and driving characteristics to in-car content displays, especially in its latest electric models.

The layoffs represent about 1.3% of the company’s global workforce of 76,000 employees as of the end of last year. That included about 53,000 salaried employees in the United States.

The cuts come as automakers try to cut costs and, in many cases, headcount amid concerns about an industry slowdown and as they spend billions of dollars on emerging markets such as fully electric vehicles and so-called software-defined vehicles.