EconoBlog

The Ford Motor Company said on Thursday that it earned $100 million in the first quarter, after a loss in the same quarter a year ago, a surprising improvement amid a slump in the United States market that has cut sales of lucrative trucks and sport utility vehicles. The company also warned of the possibility of more cuts in its work force.Ford’s automotive operations earned a pretax profit of $669 million, compared with a loss of $895 million a year ago, though the company continued its lengthy streak of money-losing quarters in North America.