General Motors is to offer early retirement packages worth US$60,000 each to about 2,000 skilled trades workers at 14 US plants.

Company spokesman Tom Wilkinson confirmed the offer to Bloomberg News after it was originally reported by TV business news channel CNBC.

Eight of the 14 plants are scheduled to close and two may shut if GM doesn’t need them, the report said.

GM has invested over $3bn in US factories and will keep line workers at the 14 plants, Bloomberg added.