July 20, 2005 11:15 AM, EDT

GM Reports Second-Quarter Loss

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eneral Motors Corp. reported Wednesday it had a net loss of $286 million or 51 cents a share in the second quarter, compared with a profit of $1.38 billion or $2.42 a share a year earlier.

Second-quarter revenue slipped to $48.5 billion from $49.3 billion a year earlier.

The largest U.S. automaker said its automotive operations lost $948 million in the quarter, with a $1.19 billion North American region loss partially offset by profitable results in Europe, Asia and the Latin American and Mideast regions.

In addition to automobiles, GM also makes Class 1-8 trucks, though most are in the light- and medium-duty classes below Class 8.

GM, which expects its health-care costs to total nearly $6 billion this year, has been in talks with the United Auto Workers union since April to try to slash some of the health-care benefits that Chief Executive Rick Wagoner blames for hurting the company's ability to compete, Reuters reported.