5. General Motors
Jobs lost: 26,000
% drop (1 year): 11%
Remaining employees*: 217,000
Fortune 500 rank: 15
As part of a reorganizational plan to emerge from bankruptcy, the troubled automaker reduced headcount by 52,000 in late 2008, then cut a further 26,000 workers last year, including 6,000 white-collar jobs. The company has announced a plan to close 15 factories in the U.S. by the end of 2012, affecting 22,000 workers.
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Last updated May 13 2010: 9:10 AM ET
* Full-time equivalent employees as of the end of 2009
