Nov 15 (Reuters) - General Motors ( GM ) is laying off

nearly 1,000 workers worldwide, most in the U.S., as it looks to

streamline operations, a source told Reuters on Friday.

GM confirmed in a statement it had made job cuts.

"In order to win in this competitive market, we need to

optimize for speed and excellence," the Detroit automaker said.

"As part of this continuous effort, we've made a small number of

team reductions."