Toledo upgrades mean furloughs

The Toledo Blade reported that around 3,200 workers will be furloughed, or temporarily laid off, while the $700 million Toledo plant renovation and retooling takes place. The changeover could take up to six months, as one of two Toledo plants switches from making unibody, front-drive-based Cherokees to body-on-frame, rear-drive-based Wranglers.

After the workers are brought back, in waves (as production ramps up), the company expects to hire 700 more people. Disruption should be relatively minor, as they should get most of their normal take-home pay between state and company unemployment insurance and benefits.