DETROIT (Reuters) – No. 1 U.S. automaker General Motors Corp said on Thursday about 19,000 U.S. hourly workers had taken buyout offers, with most expected to leave the company by July 1.

GM had offered buyouts to all of its U.S. employees represented by the United Auto Workers under an historic contract the automaker reached with the union last year.

GM said it could hire some replacement workers at a lower wage level that was negotiated in the contract at plants where it would face an employee shortage because of the buyouts.

(Reporting by David Bailey and Kevin Krolicki)