AP Source: Over 2,000 workers taking Axle buyouts

The official said between 2,000 and 2,200 workers--or well over half of American Axle's 3,650 U.S. hourly workers--will likely take the offers. The official requested anonymity because the company is expected to make an official announcement on the buyouts when it releases its second-quarter earnings Friday.

Workers had to decide by July 18 whether to take a buyout, but American Axle spokeswoman Renee Rogers said the numbers won't be final until Friday, which is the last day workers can decide to pull out of the deals.

The Detroit-based company also is cutting between 300 and 350 U.S. salaried jobs. Salaried workers started getting buyout packages last month.

American Axle emerged in May from a nearly three-month strike by the UAW that crippled the operations of General Motors Corp., its largest customer. Under a new contract ratified by workers, the supplier's total hourly labor costs are dropping from $73.48 to between $30 and $45, saving the company $300 million per year.

Despite those cuts, the company has said it needs to make further adjustments to deal with weakening U.S. sales, which are expected to hit their lowest point in more than a decade this year.