General Motors, the largest US automaker, has announced that it intends to trim down 31,500 more jobs in the US, as it confronts a severe slump that has it begging Congress for a $ 18-billion bailout.

According to the sources, the conglomerate planned to cut down its total US employment from the present level of 96,537 people to between 65,000 and 75,000 salaried and unionised workers by fiscal 2012.

The total number of US plants would be slash to 38 in 2012 from 47 in 2008. GM has already reduced its workforce nearly in half from the 2000 levels of 191,465 people.

The sources further revealed that the conglomerate operated 59 powertrain, stamping and assembly plants in the US in 2000.