BMW to Cut 8,000 Jobs in Germany as Carmakers Confront Slowing Demand

BMW will eliminate several thousand jobs in Germany by the end of 2027, the company said Wednesday, making it the latest German automaker to trim its workforce as slowing demand, expensive EV investments and competition from Chinese manufacturers squeeze profits.

The cuts, part of a voluntary redundancy programme agreed with the works council, will hit administrative and development roles. Production workers are not affected, a BMW spokesperson said. The company aims to reduce its German workforce by about 8,000 employees, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC. BMW employs roughly 150,000 people globally, with 87,436 in Germany at the end of 2025.

BMW CEO Milan Nedeljkovic told employees at a Munich workers' meeting that the industry's operating environment has fundamentally changed and the company must adapt its business model. He acknowledged a difficult period ahead but said the restructuring is necessary to improve long-term profitability, according to CNBC, citing a participant at the meeting.

The move follows similar cost-cutting initiatives by German rivals Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz, which have announced plans to eliminate tens of thousands of jobs. Porsche, a Volkswagen Group brand, earlier this week expanded its restructuring programme, targeting a 20% workforce reduction by 2035. Meanwhile, thousands of Audi employees protested Wednesday at the Neckarsulm plant, one of four German facilities facing possible closure under Volkswagen's restructuring strategy.