German auto supplier Schaeffler plans to cut 3,460 jobs in Europe

German automotive supplier Schaeffler plans to cut 3,460 jobs in Europe. Anadolu Agency and The Local Germany both report the figure. The Local attributes it to a Schaeffler statement; Anadolu's sourcing is not visible in the headline available to Vocemundi.

According to The Local, the plan includes closing five sites. The Local reports that Schaeffler said in a statement that four of the closures will be in Germany. Sites are to close in Berlin, in Dortmund and in two other towns in western Germany. A small site in Belgium is also to close.

The Local reports that Schaeffler said about three-fourths of the job cuts will be in Germany. Jobs will also be cut at sites in France and Slovakia, according to The Local. The cuts are to be completed by 2028.

According to The Local, the cuts amount to around three percent of Schaeffler's global workforce of almost 110,000. They will mainly affect production and research and development.

Schaeffler's key products include ball bearings and electric vehicle parts. The Local reports that the company, like other German carmakers and suppliers, has struggled with competition for these products, especially from Chinese manufacturers.

The Local also reports that Volkswagen plans to cut around 120,000 jobs across its brands by 2030. It reports that Bosch announced 13,000 job cuts last year, mostly in its auto division.

What each side says

The Local quoted a Schaeffler statement as saying the company is "responding to the persistently challenging environment in the automotive industry". According to The Local, the statement cited "an overall downturn in the market and intensifying competition... characterised by weakened demand for internal combustion engine vehicles and a delayed ramp-up of electric mobility".

The company pointed to "above-average" labour costs in Germany as a reason for concentrating the cuts there, The Local reports.

According to The Local, Schaeffler expects the cuts to produce annual savings of around 300 million euros from 2030. The Local converts this to $336 million. The company says some job losses will be offset by new positions in "future-oriented fields", such as humanoid robotics and defence.

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include any response from unions, works councils or employee representatives. They also do not include reactions from governments or local authorities.

What is not known

The reports do not name the two western German towns or the location of the Belgian site. They do not give job-cut numbers for France, Slovakia or Belgium. They do not say how many new positions Schaeffler expects to create, or whether 3,460 is a gross or net figure. They do not give a timeline for the site closures.

Anadolu Agency's report was available to Vocemundi only as a headline. Vocemundi did not review the full Schaeffler statement. Company quotes are known only as reproduced by The Local.

Analysis

As reported, Schaeffler links the plan to weaker demand for combustion-engine vehicles, a slower shift to electric mobility and stronger competition. The Local places it alongside job cuts announced by Volkswagen and Bosch. Several outcomes remain open. Talks with employee representatives in Germany could affect how and when closures proceed, but the reports reviewed by Vocemundi describe no such talks. The net effect on employment depends partly on how many new roles emerge in robotics and defence, a figure the reports do not give. Whether the projected savings materialise will depend on market conditions that neither the company nor observers can know in advance.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.