The difficult economic situation in Germany is forcing many large corporations to lay off their employees. Picture Alliance / Graphics: Dominik Schmitt
- German companies such as Continental, Miele and Bosch are cutting thousands of jobs.
- The job cuts mainly affect development, production and administration – but also some even management.
- The measures are responses to inflation, high energy costs and weak demand in the economy.
The German economy is weakening – and the consequences are bitter for many employees. Inflation, high energy costs and sluggish demand are affecting large corporations. The result: thousands of layoffs in Germany. Because: Companies have to save to avoid ending up in the red.
For many in Germany this means: jobs will be lost, locations will be closed and the workforce will be drastically reduced. But who has already made the red pencil this year? Here is an overview of the biggest job cuts.
Coca-Cola: Production and logistics are being reduced
Coca-Cola announced at the beginning of October that it would close five production and logistics locations in Germany next year. The locations affected are Cologne, Neumünster, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen, Bielefeld and Memmingen. A total of 505 jobs will be cut, 207 jobs will be relocated to other locations and 78 new jobs will be created.
Coca-Cola will cut more than 500 jobs in Germany. Getty Images
Miele: washing machines to Poland, goodbye to jobs
Miele plans to cut around 1,300 jobs in Germany by 2028. The Gütersloh site is particularly affected, where 700 jobs in washing machine production will be relocated to Poland. The job cuts are part of a future contract that the company agreed with the IG Metall union.
More than a thousand jobs at Miele are to be cut by 2028. Picture Alliance
Bosch: The silent farewell to 3,500 jobs
Bosch has announced that it will cut around 3,500 jobs in the indirect sector by 2027. These layoffs primarily affect administrative positions. In 2024, 450 jobs are expected to be eliminated in Germany. Bosch relies on socially acceptable solutions and wants to avoid redundancies for operational reasons wherever possible.
The company has announced that 3,500 jobs will be cut by 2027. Picture Alliance
Thyssenkrupp Steel: The end in Bremen?
The company wants to cut 420 of 550 jobs at Thyssenkrupp’s Bremen-Farge site. Many jobs are affected, particularly in production. The IG Metall union sharply criticizes the measures and speaks of the “end of the location”.
The subsidiary Thyssenkrupp Steel is to cut up to 550 jobs. Picture Alliance
SAP: Restructuring on the backs of employees
The software company SAP has announced that it will cut up to 10,000 jobs as part of a restructuring. The original plan was to cut 8,000 jobs, but the measures were expanded. At the same time, SAP is investing in new positions in the area of artificial intelligence.
10,000 employees at SAP are at risk of being laid off. Picture Alliance
Tesla: Grünheide saves 400 jobs
Tesla plans to cut around 400 permanent jobs at the Grünheide plant near Berlin. It had previously been announced that 300 temporary workers would be cut. The job cuts are being made to respond to sales problems and the total number of employees will fall to approximately 11,800.
Just two years after the factory was built in Grünheide, it was announced that 400 jobs would be cut. Picture Alliance
VW: The end of the job guarantee
Volkswagen announced in September that it would end its long-standing job guarantee. This means that operational dismissals will be possible from July 2025. Volkswagen also announced the takeover of trainees and regulations on temporary work. A total of 30,000 layoffs are at risk.
VW has faced weaker sales in recent years as demand weakens in the Chinese market, while prioritization of electric cars has progressed more slowly than expected.
Redundancies at VW for operational reasons are likely to be possible next year. picture alliance / SULUPRESS.DE | Torsten Sukrow / SULUPRESS.DE
Henkel: 2,000 jobs already cut
Henkel is continuing its extensive job cuts this year, which is part of a larger restructuring program. The company had already announced in the first phase that it would cut around 2,000 jobs worldwide by the end of 2023.
The conversion is now moving into the second phase, in which the areas of production, purchasing, logistics and storage are being optimized. This could lead to further job losses.
Last year, Henkel announced that it wanted to cut 2,000 jobs. Picture Alliance
Vodafone: Savings lead to layoffs
Vodafone Germany announced in March that it would cut 2,000 jobs as part of a new austerity program. The goal is to save around 400 million euros over the next two years. The job cuts affect around 13 percent of the total 15,000 employees in Germany. Vodafone also wants to reduce material and operating costs.
The job cuts will be carried out in a socially acceptable manner, and new employees will be hired in some growth areas. Getty Images
Bayer: Leverkusen is being thinned out
The Bayer Group in Leverkusen has already cut 3,200 jobs worldwide since the beginning of 2024, including 2,500 in management. These job cuts are part of a larger restructuring plan under new CEO Bill Anderson, who wants to make the company hierarchy leaner and work processes more efficient. Bayer aims to save 500 million euros by the end of the year and a total of two billion euros by 2026.
The reduction of management positions is expected to continue at a rapid pace, although the exact number of positions affected in Germany has not been disclosed. Getty Images
Evonik: Group cuts management positions
Due to the crisis in the chemical industry, Evonik is planning to cut around 2,000 jobs, including around 1,500 in Germany. The group wants to become leaner and more efficient.
Evonik wants to cut several positions and reduce hierarchy levels, especially in management. The aim is to reduce costs by around 400 million euros.
In 2023, the group recorded a significant decline in sales and profits, and only slight growth is expected for 2024. Picture Alliance
ZF Friedrichshafen: Thousands of job cuts
ZF Friedrichshafen plans to cut up to 18,000 jobs by 2030. By 2028, 10,000 jobs will be lost. The company is responding to the need to reduce costs and remain competitive.
ZF Friedrichshafen plans to cut 18,000 jobs by 2030. Picture Alliance
