Your stories: Car manufacturing

The majority of our business is for the motor industry and we have been hit hard by the downturn in the sector.

We are now on a four day week, redundancies are being announced on Thursday and the future looks bleak.

I don't understand how giving money to car giants will help the economy and get us out of this recession. What the government should do is work on providing incentives for people to spend money.

In Germany the government is working with the industry and providing financial incentives to encourage people to trade their old car in for a new one. This helps to plough money back into the industry.

The company is trying to diversify and we have enough new orders on the books from July onwards that would guarantee our future, but we need to persuade the banks to back us. Without that it's hard to see a viable future.

The government can give the money to the big car manufacturers but they may find that by the time cars start selling again all the smaller firms supplying parts will have gone under.

I was working in Lancashire delivering cars from the manufactures to dealers all around the country.

But with the drop in car sales it is not just those making and selling cars who have been affected it is everyone in the chain. I think people forget that there are other people involved in the industry who have also been affected.

The government needs to encourage people to buy cars, until that happens I don't believe the situation will change. People just can't get the loans to buy cars at the moment.

I have had to sign on at the job centre for the first time in 30 years. I've also been signing on with lots of different employment agencies, speaking to friends and former colleagues, trying to find work anywhere, but the whole industry is very slow.

Having a HGV licence hasn't helped as the downturn has meant there are less goods being transported around the country.

I'm starting to think about other options and might look at driving a taxi or becoming a motorbike courier.

I am worried about this situation, as this time I really can't see that there are any jobs out there, even the jobs that people are normally reluctant to take have been filled.

I can see that car manufacturers are getting some help, but where is the help for people in the truck manufacturing industry?

We have also seen a drop in production and as a result job losses. It is the same for us. Banks aren't lending people any money and without a loan they can't afford a new vehicle.

I'm trying not to think about what might happen to my job if this continues, but the worry is always in the back of my mind.

I think the banks should be encouraged to give people loans to get the market moving again.

Without that the situation really is quite grim.