Today, the Volkswagen Supervisory Board unanimously approved a restructuring plan which provides for the elimination of approximately 50,000 jobs worldwide by the end of the decade, twice as much as anticipated in a previous plan.
© Reuters/Axel Schmidt/File Photo
03/09/2026
by
Lusa
A decision was announced after a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Board, before the plenary meeting of the group supervisory body, based in Wolfsburg, scheduled for Friday.
The largest car manufacturer in Europe had already announced its intention to cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030, mainly in its main brand, VW.
A total cut of 100,000 jobs would represent approximately 15% of the group's workforce.
“ Faced with increasing global competitive pressure, changes in demand patterns and technological changes in the automobile industry, a significant adjustment in production capacity is essential to reflect economic reality,” explains the European car manufacturer in difficulties.
The Supervisory Board, composed of an equal number of officials and shareholders’ representatives, recognised “the existence of an excess capacity of 500,000 vehicles in Europe” and the fact that “no competitive future production workload, distributed between 2031 and 2034, can be guaranteed today” for four German factories threatened with closure: Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and Neckarsulm.
For these four units facing a possible closure, “alternative uses are being explored,” the group said.
As with the rest of the German car industry, Volkswagen suffers from low demand, a slower transition than expected for electric vehicles and the growing competition of Chinese brands, factors affecting its sales and profitability.
“ It is important that the Volkswagen Council now has the basis to tackle the major tasks ahead. This explicitly includes the development of future scenarios for all units,” said Christiane Benner, vice president of the Supervisory Board and first president of the IG Metal union, according to a press release.