General Motors said that 35,000 workers had accepted payouts to retire and leave the company.
The figure, or almost a third of its hourly work force, topped expectations and put the world's largest automaker two years ahead of schedule on planned job cuts.
Moreover, Delphi, a former GM parts unit that is restructuring in bankruptcy, said 12,600 of its employees had agreed to retire under an incentive plan offered as part of an agreement with GM and United Auto Workers union.
The better-than-expected acceptance of the offers makes it more likely that GM can avoid a costly work stoppage at Delphi and allows the car maker to cut pension costs.
GM shares, which have rallied more than 40 per cent this year on expectations the battered automaker was making progress in its restructuring, gained 1 per cent in after-hours trade.
Analysts noted that GM would be able to realise immediate cost savings on wages as it brings in lower-paid temporary workers to staff depleted factories.