DETROIT — Chrysler indicated early Thursday morning it had a net loss of $662 million in the second quarter of this year and also announced it will close its Newark, Del., assembly plant earlier than expected and eliminate a shift at its assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio.

The shift reduction in Toledo will occur Dec. 31 and affect about 825 jobs. The Newark plant was already slated for closure at the end of 2009 but will now close Dec. 31, affecting 1,000 jobs.

Chrysler said in a statement it is committed to working with the UAW "to address the represented manpower reductions in a socially responsible manner" and will hold meetings with employees to review special programs for the affected locations.

The bulk of the $662 million losses — $572 million — were attributed to the automotive business.

DETROIT — General Motors will begin involuntary layoffs of its salaried and contract workforce beginning late this year and will reduce the benefits available to those who remain, its top executives wrote in a note to its executives.In a note to U.S.-based GM Executives signed by Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner and President Fritz Henderson, the automaker said that it has had "good" response to its 2008 salaried retirement incentives, but will have to lay off some salaried workers because of the worsening global economy."The global credit crisis has had a dramatic impact upon the industry at large and new vehicle markets in North America and Western Europe have contracted severely," the executives wrote. "In this regard, we expect to initiate involuntary separations in some areas of the business, late this year and early in 2009."