The board of German carmaker Volkswagen has signed off on a new wave of redundancies, targeting a further 50,000 positions.
The move raises the group’s total planned job reductions to 100,000 by the end of the decade, a figure that includes management roles and reflects the biggest restructuring in the company’s near‑nine‑decade history.
Chief executive Oliver Blume described the decision as a "strong signal" and said the firm is "taking responsibility for our entire workforce".
He added that a "fundamental adjustment of the global workforce capability is necessary" to keep the group competitive amid shifting demand and rapid technological change, and that a "Group‑wide workforce adjustment of approximately 50,000 positions" will be required.
Volkswagen’s profits have slipped in recent years, hit by falling sales in key markets such as China and the United States.
In China, the brand has lost ground to rapidly expanding domestic rivals that benefit from lower production costs, while in the US sales have been dented by tariffs introduced during the Trump administration.
The company also plans to reassess the future of its Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and Neckarsulm plants, noting that production capacity at those sites exceeds current demand.
Christianne Benner, president of the IG Metall union and deputy chair of Volkswagen’s supervisory board, said the carmaker had "fought hard for good solutions" to address what she called a "crisis situation".
Her comments underscore the broader strain on Germany’s once‑dominant automotive sector, which is now grappling with the need to streamline operations and compete with the aggressive expansion of Chinese carmakers such as BYD across Europe and Asia.
Category: Business
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