Volkswagen board approves plan to cut another 50,000 jobs

ByOsmond Chia Business reporter. 4 September 2026, 01: 18 BST.

Key points

• The board of German car giant Volkswagen has approved a plan to cut another 50, 000 jobs as part of a sweeping turnaround programme.
• As of 2025, VW employed more than 660, 000 individuals worldwide.
• It continued "a Group-wide workforce adjustment of approximately 50, 000 positions – including management roles – will be necessary."
• Over recent years, firms like BYD have seen their sales rise sharply in markets including the UK, European Union and South East Asia.
• The firm is additionally considering the future of its Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and Neckarsulm plants, where it has noted production capacity exceeds demand.

Notably, the board of German car giant Volkswagen has approved a plan to cut another 50, 000 jobs as part of a sweeping turnaround programme. It brings the total number of roles the firm aims to shed by 2030 to 100, 000.

In practice, the group – which includes Audi, Porsche, Skoda as well as the VW brand – remarked in March that it would cut 50, 000 roles by the end of the decade.

For context, the move is a "strong signal" for the future of the firm. It is "taking responsibility for our entire workforce", VW's chief executive Oliver Blume remarked in an official note on Thursday.

Blume remarked in July that the firm was looking to produce the extra cuts.

Meanwhile, the Beetle-maker has been hit by a drop in profits due to falling sales and fierce competition, especially from Chinese brands.

VW will additionally prioritise the "most compelling vehicles" and produce more of each model. It will support lower costs, it remarked.

In practice, a "fundamental adjustment of the global workforce capability is necessary" to safeguard the competitiveness of the firm. It faces shifting demand and technological change.

Notably, the firm is additionally considering the future of its Emden, Zwickau, Hanover and Neckarsulm plants, where it has noted production capacity exceeds demand. "Alternative uses for these plants are being assessed, " it remarked. The restructuring marks the biggest in VW's almost nine-decade history.

As of 2025, VW employed more than 660, 000 individuals worldwide. Its brands additionally include Seat, Bentley and Lamborghini.

Christianne Benner – the president of Europe's largest industrial union IG Metall and deputy chair of VW's Supervisory Board – remarked the carmaker had "fought hard for good solutions" to address a "crisis situation".

VW's profits have fallen sharply over recent years, hit by falling sales in China. It was once one of its biggest markets.

Sales have additionally fallen in the US, partly due to the impact of tariffs on car imports that were introduced by President Donald Trump's administration.

Chinese carmakers have been expanding aggressively as they roll out new technologies while benefiting from lower production costs than their rivals.

For now, volkswagen board approves plan to cut another 50, 000 jobs remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.