SAO PAULO: Ford Motor Co announced a voluntary buyout program on Monday to employees at a factory in Brazil where it plans to shut down the night shift, eliminating the need for about 2,000 workers in an industry that has shed about 10 percent of its workforce in a year.

Ford did not say how many workers it aimed to shed in the buyout, which will be available to employees Jan. 4-15, according to a press statement.

Last month, the automaker said it would not need 2,000 of the 9,000 employees and third-party contractors at its Cama?ari plant in the state of Bahia, due to the decision to close down the night shift beginning in March.

Representatives of the local metalworkers union could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sales in Brazil's auto market, one of the world's five biggest, have tumbled about 25 percent this year - their biggest drop in over 25 years - leading carmakers to idle assembly lines, cut workers and delay investments.

Copyright Reuters, 2015