Volkswagen will cut another 50,000 jobs, increasing its planned workforce reductions to 100,000 by 2030 as the carmaker restructures to regain competitiveness.
The board approved the additional round of cuts for the group that includes Audi, Porsche, Skoda and the VW brand. The announcement follows an earlier March plan to eliminate 50,000 roles by the end of the decade, and follows comments in July that further reductions were under consideration.
Oliver Blume, Volkswagen's chief executive, framed the decision as a decisive step for the company's future, saying the move is a "strong signal" and that the firm is "taking responsibility for our entire workforce". The company said the adjustment will cover around 50,000 positions across the group, including management roles.
Volkswagen cited falling sales and intense competition, notably from Chinese brands, as drivers of a drop in profits and the rationale for the cuts. The company also said it will focus its product line on the "most compelling vehicles" and lift production volumes per model to drive down costs.
The restructuring is the biggest in Volkswagen's almost nine-decade history. Christianne Benner, president of IG Metall and deputy chair of Volkswagen's Supervisory Board, said the carmaker had "fought hard for good solutions" to confront what she called a "crisis situation".
As of 2025, Volkswagen employed more than 660,000 people worldwide, underscoring the scale of the change the company is preparing to implement. Management has presented the cuts as necessary to safeguard competitiveness as demand patterns and automotive technology continue to shift.
What happens next is implementation at group level, with the company set to phase the reductions through to 2030 and adjust its product and cost structure to reflect a narrower, higher-volume lineup.
