Volkswagen may cut up to 100,000 jobs
Volkswagen may cut up to 100,000 jobs and close several plants in Germany. The German magazine *Manager Magazin* reports on these plans, while Reuters notes that this could be the largest restructuring in the automaker’s history.
German auto giant Volkswagen Group is preparing a large-scale restructuring of the company. According to Manager Magazin, the group’s CEO, Oliver Blume, wants to carry out a sweeping business reform that involves cutting up to 100,000 jobs, closing several plants, and reducing investments. According to the publication, the company also plans to cut investments by approximately 15%. While about 150 billion euros had been planned for the next five years, this amount could be reduced to approximately 130 billion euros following the review.
In addition to cutting costs, the group’s management is considering a major restructuring of the company. Specifically, this involves spinning off the main Volkswagen brand and the auto-parts division into separate entities.
According to Manager Magazin, in the medium term, the group may also cease production at its plants in the German cities of Hanover, Zwickau, and Emden, as well as at the Audi plant in Neckarsulm. This is planned to take place after production of the current car models is completed. At the same time, these plans go far beyond the previously announced program to cut 50,000 jobs. Moreover, in 2024, Volkswagen signed an agreement with labor unions stipulating that its plants in Germany would not be closed at least until the end of this decade.
Volkswagen itself has not officially confirmed these reports. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the information regarding “confidential documents” and stated that all major decisions must first be reviewed and approved by the group’s governing bodies.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s works council and IG Metall, one of Germany’s largest labor unions, have already stated that they will oppose any potential layoffs and plant closures. As of the 2025 fiscal year, the Volkswagen Group employed 667,164 people worldwide. Nearly 43% of them are in Germany. If the company does cut up to 100,000 jobs, this would represent approximately 15% of the total workforce.
According to Manager Magazin, all these steps are part of the group’s long-term development strategy through 2030. The publication reports that Oliver Blume has already presented the concept to the company’s executive management and plans to submit it to the supervisory board for review on July 9. Volkswagen has not yet announced an official decision regarding the implementation of these plans. Information about possible layoffs and plant closures is based on data that Manager Magazin obtained from its own sources, which Reuters then reported, citing the publication. This was reported by Reuters.
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