VW is planning massive job cuts: 35,000 jobs at risk by 2030!

VW is planning massive job cuts: 35,000 jobs at risk by 2030!

What's happening at Volkswagen? This question is on the minds of many employees after the car company announced that up to 35,000 jobs would be cut in Germany by the end of 2030. In an internal communication, Human Resources Director Gunnar Kilian gave insights into the planned measures and made it clear that around 20,000 of the jobs to be eliminated have already been contractually secured. A large part of this reduction is taking place through partial retirement (ATZ), so that over 14,000 employees are expected to leave the company this way. This information has News38 published.

The plan calls for almost 5,000 employees to retire regularly. Around 1,300 people have already accepted severance pay offers. Kilian's statements make it clear that Volkswagen is striving to make this workforce reduction socially acceptable. Funding through voluntary solutions is intended to avoid layoffs and secure existing jobs.

A look at the details

The reduction plan primarily affects West German locations, although the East German plants in Saxony and Osnabrück are not included in the reduction figures. Volkswagen currently employs around 130,000 people in Germany, which means that this reduction will affect around a quarter of all jobs. Loud n-tv Many of the already predicted departures are also tied to the regular retirement age.

The severance program currently focuses on employees in indirect areas such as administration and development. An expansion to production employees is not on the agenda until summer 2026 at the earliest. Volkswagen is not only aiming for a reduction in jobs, but also a sustainable realignment, while the company continues to feel high pressure to invest in electric cars. There are voices warning that the future utilization of the Wolfsburg main plant could come under pressure because, for example, production of the Golf is to be relocated to Mexico from 2027.

A new course for Volkswagen

The challenges facing Volkswagen are diverse. Brand CFO David Powels emphasized that a lot of work still needs to be put into the savings plan. Profits need to be increased, especially as the new electric models take longer to break even. Special shifts have already been run at the main plant in order to meet the high demand for combustion engine models such as the Golf and the Tiguan. But the future looks different. Group works council boss Daniela Cavallo warned that sales of the Golf could continue to fall and that planning for future production capacities could become difficult.

The coming years promise change and challenges for the workforce at Volkswagen. With a clear goal in mind, namely to make the company competitive and sustainable by 2029, it remains to be seen how these measures will ultimately affect the employees and the corporate culture. Loud South Germans The implementation of the austerity measures will be crucial for the further development of the company.