Following gas’ rapid ascension to the $4 a gallon mark, U.S. truck and SUVs sales took an equally proportionate nose dive. That massive consumer shift from larger, inefficient vehicles to smaller, more economical models forced General Motors to announce the closure of several of its light truck production facilities, but it appears as though the current economic downturn has eroded the situations even further.

Earlier this year GM announced it would be shuttering the doors of its Janesville, Wis. assembly plant – which produces the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban — by 2010. However, the large SUV market has continued to tank since that announcement, prompting GM to move up the plant’s closure date.

Janesville’s closure date has now been moved up to December 23rd of this year, according to Automotive News. GM’s Janesville plant employs about 1,200 UAW-represented workers.

While the news is certainly bad for those workers employed by GM in Janesville, the plant’s early closure could spell trouble for other GM employees. Several other truck plants are on GM’s ‘To Close’ list, so some workers could be out of a job sooner than expected.

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