Despite slashing some 8,000 jobs worldwide, BMW plans to hire more workers to man its Spartanburg, S.C. production center, while simultaneously upping the night shift from eight hours to ten. The South Carolina plant currently produces the X5 and Z4, but with production of the X6 CUV beginning a few weeks back, BMW is looking to staff an additional 200 jobs to keep the assembly plant on boil. Although Z4 production is going to Regensburg, Germany in 2009, BMW plans to begin building the X3, which is overdue for a refresh, at the plant around the same time. Those of you looking for jobs in the Spartanburg area can apply through MAU Inc., BMW's U.S. staffing firm, and should expect to bring in $12.50 an hour during the day shift and additional buck if you're willing to toil away in the wee hours of the night.
[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Austin @ Jan 7th 2008 6:37PM
who would want to work for $12.50 an hour? my mom gets more for a school nurse
Taylor @ Jan 7th 2008 6:43PM
$12.50 cannot be right. There must be a typo somewhere. No one would work a job like this for $12.50. Honda, GM, and Ford pay upwards of $40.
Scott @ Jan 7th 2008 8:07PM
$40/hr is $83,200 a year. Methinks you're a bit off there.
dave0mary @ Jan 8th 2008 11:16AM
$40/hr with all the bennies maybe. No way a GM worker gets 80K/yr.
bobfranks @ Jan 7th 2008 6:46PM
Ouch. $12.50 don't do far!
B-Rad @ Jan 7th 2008 6:48PM
Hey, didn't GM, Ford, and Chrysler just do some firing?
Xcountryflyer @ Jan 7th 2008 6:48PM
I hope there are some good benefits for $12.50!
Dino Tojaga @ Jan 7th 2008 6:54PM
Maybe some of those laid off Chrysler workers can find jobs.
Tim @ Jan 7th 2008 7:12PM
12.50 does sound low, but the cost of living in SC is quite a bit lower than some of the larger cities.
I have a friend that recently moved there, and he's having trouble adjusting to the lower wages. Of course, his apt is twice the size of his place in upstate NY, for the same rent, so...
Ryan @ Jan 7th 2008 7:13PM
The X3 just got a refresh for 2007. New suspension, engine, etc. It's right in the middle of its lifecycle; it'll be a few years before you see an all new X3 around...
refugee7 @ Jan 7th 2008 7:33PM
Really? $12.50? I know other automakers are struggling but aren't the Detroit Three still paying $30+? I thought it was mainly benefits that took the axe.
SCDevil @ Jan 7th 2008 7:39PM
I live here in the area (BMW is actually in Greer, SC) and work for one of the local big name corporations. I have many friends that work for BMW. Many of the production workers make $40k to 55k a yr but your pay starts out real low for your first year or two.
billd @ Jan 7th 2008 8:09PM
So the Germans are here to exploit cheap American labor. Who can support a family on $2K per month?
At the Daimler plant in Sindelfingen, Mercedes workers make $55 per hour. Their Union would not tolerate sub-standard wages. I'm sure BMW pays the same in Munich.
And I thought we won the war.
Andrew @ Jan 8th 2008 12:21AM
Yeah, how dare they offer new jobs in a free market?!
Andrew @ Jan 8th 2008 2:25PM
Are you insane or something? They don't pay German workers 55 USD but something like €35. That means a great deal less money in *local* terms because of the higher cost of living. You can't "translate" salaries using currency exchange rates!
rmc @ Jan 8th 2008 3:40PM
No, the Soviets won the war
GENERALMOTORSMAN4LIFE @ Jan 7th 2008 8:50PM
Yes their gonna beef up the workers to handle what BMW profects will be a hot seller, only to lay these workers off within a year or two because this vehicle is hideous! BMW-stick with the hits (X5) and increase it's reliability, then design something that would be worthy of the BMW name other than this XshXX-oops X6!
mba @ Jan 8th 2008 11:51AM
Homer, is that you?
Bling Bling Boy @ Jan 7th 2008 8:55PM
12.50 per hour could be right..Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that S.C plant has no organized union..
Most of the newer auto plants in the Southern U.S are off limits to the unions..(which means lower wages for it's workers).
nate_687 @ Jan 7th 2008 8:56PM
Really who would work an assembly line for $12.50/Hour?
I got family that work for GM and they make $28/Hour. When they hired a group of temporary workers last year they were making $22.50/Hour.
Nissan pays around $15/Hour starting out.
I dont know about other auto companies.
But $12.50/Hour seems really low, especially as hard as they are gonna make people work and 10 hours a day.