* Production workers: These workers are responsible for assembling the various components of a vehicle, such as the body, engine, and transmission.
* Quality control inspectors: These workers are responsible for ensuring that vehicles meet quality standards before they are shipped to dealerships.
* Material handlers: These workers are responsible for moving materials and parts throughout the manufacturing facility.
* Maintenance workers: These workers are responsible for maintaining the equipment used in the manufacturing process.
Direct labor costs can vary significantly from one automaker to another, depending on the level of automation used in the manufacturing process. In general, automakers with higher levels of automation have lower direct labor costs. However, even automakers with high levels of automation still require some direct labor to perform tasks that cannot be automated, such as final assembly and quality control.
Direct labor costs are a major component of the total cost of manufacturing a vehicle. In some cases, direct labor costs can account for as much as 25% of the total cost of a vehicle. As a result, automakers are constantly looking for ways to reduce their direct labor costs, such as by using more automation and outsourcing non-core manufacturing activities.
