GM US employment at 74,500 at the end of 2011, about 16,500 less than right before the bailout

Before filing for bankruptcy in July 2009, GM had 91,000 employees in the United States. After the company was reorganized the number of employees was reduced to 68,500. Well, now the number of employees at the end of 2011 (not accounting for the reduction in employment at dealerships) is back to 74,500. More of a discussion is available here.

Rasmussen has this interesting discussion of the impact that the bailouts had on the perception that people had of the GM, Ford, and Chrysler.

More Americans than ever have a favorable opinion of Ford, the one Big Three automaker that didn’t take federal bailout money.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 78% of American Adults have at least a somewhat favorable impression of Ford. . . . Thirteen percent (13%) have an unfavorable opinion of Ford. The new findings include 44% with a Very Favorable impression of the Detroit-based manufacturer and just five percent (5%) with a Very Unfavorable one. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

General Motors is a far distant second, with 44% of Americans sharing a favorable opinion of the world’s largest automaker, . . . . This includes just 13% who have a Very Favorable impression of GM. Forty-five percent (45%) have an unfavorable opinion of automaker, with 17% who view it Very Unfavorably.

Nearly as many (43%) have a favorable opinion of Chrysler, while another 43% regard the automaker unfavorably. This includes 12% with a Very Favorable opinion of Chrysler and 13% with a Very Unfavorable one.

In March 2007, before the bailouts, GM was the most popular of the car manufacturers with favorables of 69%, compared to Ford's 57% and Chrysler's 51%. However, perceptions of GM and Chrysler dropped once they began to aggressively seek taxpayer assistance to stay afloat. . . .