COLUMBUS, Ind. -- Workers at a Cummins Inc. engine plant are working only two days this week and may see additional cuts in hours due to the shutdown of a Chrysler pickup truck assembly plant in Mexico.

The Cummins Midrange Engine Plant in Walesboro, Ind., makes engines for the Chrysler plant in Saltillo, Mexico, which has been shut down for at least four weeks because of Chrysler's bankruptcy filing. The plant makes the Dodge Ram pickup truck.

Cummins spokesman Mark Land said production at the engine plant will take place only Monday and Thursday of this week to accommodate other customers.

Land said no decision has been made on production and staffing schedules after this week. The production cuts affect about 650 workers.

Other company employees said they sympathize.

"People mostly expect, you know, 40 hours a week, at least, and when they don't have that, when they only have two days a week, it's hard to pay your bills," said Mickey Harden, who works at another Cummins factory. "It's going to be pretty rough. While they're working two days a week they can't draw on unemployment."

The smaller paychecks will also send a ripple through the already shaky area economy.

"I don't know how they're going to survive on a two-day work week. We have several factories that are doing a four-day work week, and it's tough enough for them," said Columbus Mayor Fred Armstrong.

Still, some people on the streets of Columbus said they're hopeful the economy will soon turn around.

"I'm an eternal optimist and know that the industry will come back and these people will get their jobs again," said resident Geri Wilt. "But it's going to be tough right now for awhile."