Restructuring events
European Restructuring Monitor (ERM)
The restructuring events database contains factsheets with data on large-scale restructuring events reported in the principal national media and company websites in each EU Member State. This database was created in 2002.
BMW, a German automotive manufacturer, has announced that approximately 8,000 jobs will be cut worldwide. Of the company's roughly 154,000 employees globally, around 84,000 are based in Germany. It has therefore been reported that at least half of the planned job reductions are expected to affect Germany, amounting to a minimum of around 4,000 positions. The job cuts are scheduled to begin in October 2026 and are expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The restructuring is being driven by weak market conditions in the automotive industry, growing competition from China and US tariffs. The company aims to improve its profitability and competitiveness. The reductions will primarily affect administrative, development, research, planning and management functions, while production roles are expected to remain unaffected.
An agreement on the workforce reduction plan has been reached with the works council. The company intends to implement the reductions through a voluntary severance programme combined with natural attrition. In Germany, around 40,000 employees are expected to receive individual offers under the programme.
A previous business expansion was recorded in the ERM database in June 2026, when BMW announced the creation of 1,600 new jobs in connection with the opening of a new plant in Irlbach-Straßkirchen BMW 2026 - DE.
Eurofound (2026), BMW, Internal restructuring in Germany, factsheet number 300825, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/300825.
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