Volkswagen plans additional 50,000 job cuts to reduce costs

Volkswagen boss Oliver Blume told staff on July 13 that the company may need to cut around 50,000 more jobs. The German carmaker had already planned to remove 50,000 positions across the group, so the total could reach roughly 100,000. Blume said Volkswagen is about 20% more expensive to run than its competitors. He also said the company cannot currently guarantee work for four of its factories in the 2030s. These are in Emden, Hanover, Zwickau, and Neckarsulm. Blume said he prefers to find smart solutions rather than close factories. One idea is to use quieter plants to make products for the defence industry. Another is to build Chinese Volkswagen models at European factories.