Volkswagen is considering slashing up to 100,000 jobs from its global workforce, a move that would effectively double the company’s earlier target of roughly 50,000 cuts announced in March 2026. The potential restructuring, first reported by Manager Magazin on June 26, would also involve shutting down four German manufacturing plants.
VW shares dropped 3-4% in early trading after the report surfaced. For a company that employs approximately 657,000 people worldwide, eliminating 100,000 positions would mean roughly one in every six or seven workers losing their job.
What’s actually on the table
The four plants reportedly under consideration for closure are Hanover, Zwickau, Emden, and Neckarsulm, facilities that collectively employ more than 45,000 workers.
CEO Oliver Blume is leading the restructuring effort as part of a broader strategy to sharpen the company’s competitive edge. The underlying problems are familiar to anyone who’s followed European automakers over the past two years: declining demand for electric vehicles, intensifying pressure from Chinese manufacturers who can build comparable cars at lower cost, and the persistent drag of US tariffs on exports.
