The e-mail doesn't spell out what specific changes might be announced. But in a letter to executives late last month, Wagoner and Henderson wrote that the automaker will have to cut more white-collar jobs, including involuntary layoffs, later this year and early next year, as well as suspend the company match in employee 401(k) retirement accounts and make other benefit cuts. GM already has exceeded its goal of cutting more than 5,000 salaried jobs through a program of buyouts and early retirements, but the worsening auto industry and global economy are forcing deeper cuts. Analyst Aaron Bragman of IHS Global Insight said he suspects GM will announce additional white-collar cuts Friday but didn't rule out other moves, such as plant closures. 'It could be anything. There's nothing anymore that's taboo,' Bragman said. 'GM has to do whatever it can do to cut costs and keep itself alive.' Wall Street is expecting GM to post a third-quarter loss of $3.51 per share, according to a survey of analysts by Thomson Reuters. 'If you announce major losses you have to announce some action, otherwise your stock price is going to tank,' Bragman said. The expected cuts come on top of a broad restructuring plan GM announced this summer. The plan included cutting $10 billion in costs by the end of 2009 and raising $5 billion through asset sales and borrowing. But the recent global credit crisis and steep decline in consumer confidence have worsened since that plan was unveiled. GM North America President Troy Clarke was scheduled to talk Wednesday night about the tough times facing GM and the auto industry. According to an advance copy of a speech he was scheduled to give during a private meeting of the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, the next 100 days are a crucial time for the industry. 'We will continue to take the tough but necessary actions to position the company for future success,' Clark said, according to a copy of the speech. 'Literally, we are working around the clock to move our business in the right direction. 'The harsh new reality is that we are never finished.' GM's sales in the United States are down 20.3 percent this year and the automaker has lost approximately $70 billion since 2004, although less than $8 billion of that loss was related to the company's core business. The majority was related to restructuring, Delphi and GMAC Financial Services and noncash in nature. GM and other automakers are coping with the lowest U.S. sales market in 17 years. On Monday, GM reported its October sales slumped 45.1 percent to 168,719 vehicles, the steepest slide among Detroit's Big Three automakers. The worsening auto market has led GM to enter negotiations to acquire rival Chrysler LLC from majority owner Cerberus Capital Management LP. One deal on the table includes having GM sell a majority of its 49 percent interest in GMAC Financial Services in exchange for Chrysler. Cerberus, which owns 51 percent of GMAC, could keep a small stake in a combined GM-Chrysler. You can reach Robert Snell at (313) 222-2028 or rsnelldteom.