ASML, the company that essentially holds the keys to advanced semiconductor manufacturing, is walking back part of its layoff plan after unions pushed back hard enough to force a deal.
The Dutch chip equipment maker reached a social plan agreement with unions on May 13, 2026, designed to reduce the number of forced layoffs from its originally announced 1,700 management positions. The deal, negotiated with unions FNV, CNV, De Unie, and VHP2, leans on retraining and internal reassignment to potentially save several hundred jobs that were otherwise headed for elimination.
From walkouts to agreements
ASML announced the restructuring on January 28, 2026, targeting roughly 4% of its global workforce. The cuts were concentrated heavily in the Netherlands, with 1,400 positions affected there and another 300 in the United States.
The company framed the move as a strategic pivot, not a cost-cutting exercise. ASML wanted to flatten its management hierarchy and redirect resources toward engineering roles, driven by surging demand for AI-related chip technology.
