Job security in Germany has reached its lowest point since the financial crisis, with evidence of widespread anxiety among employees. A total of 16 percent of Germans now consider their jobs “very insecure” or “somewhat insecure” according to a November 2025 survey by consulting firm EY – the highest level since 2009.
The survey also reveals that younger workers and those on lower incomes are most concerned: 21 percent of under-35s and 36 percent of those earning less than €25,000 a year fear for their jobs, compared to just 10 percent of over-55s and eight percent of those earning over €70,000.
These concerns appear well-founded. From January to September 2025, around 17,500 jobs were lost at the country’s top 100 companies, according to EY.
The automotive industry stands out as the hardest hit, shedding 48,800 jobs in total over the period of a year to September (equivalent to a drop in employment of 6.3 percent).
Looking ahead, 2026 appears to offer little in the way of relief. Announcements of redundancies in the last few months have come from a wide range of industries, including steel, aviation, media, banking and retail.
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But one of the main things linking these companies is the fact that so many of them are household-names, including giants like Volkswagen, Bosch, Lufthansa, RTL and Aldi Süd.
Layoffs announced in the last few months include:
Automotive and industrial sector
The German automotive and industrial sector is facing a wave of significant job cuts, with several household-name companies announcing or agreeing major reductions since late-2025.
On Tuesday, for example, German auto supplier Aumovio announced plans to cut up to 4,000 jobs worldwide. The cuts, amounting to almost five percent of the group's staff, are expected to affect sites in Germany, as well as a number of other countries.
Other automotive companies have also made recent announcements of job cuts.
Volkswagen has revealed plans to cut 35,000 jobs out of its 130,000-strong German workforce. While initial reports surfaced last June, formal negotiations with union IG Metall occurred between September and November.
Around 15,000 jobs are at risk in Wolfsburg alone, with the rest of the cuts to be distributed among Volkswagen’s German locations. The cuts are expected to be completed by 2030, with around 20,000 departures already contractually agreed.
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MAN, a Volkswagen subsidiary specialising in truck and bus manufacturing, announced in November that it would reduce its German workforce by 2,300 jobs, representing about 20 percent of its staff in the country. The company plans to shift production to Poland – and announced the cuts would be achieved through voluntary measures such as early retirement, with completion targeted by 2030.
Ford confirmed in September that up to 1,000 jobs would be lost at its Cologne plant. The redundancies were set to begin in January, when the plant moves to operating just one shift per day.
Bosch, a leading automotive supplier, said in September that it would cut 13,000 jobs, mostly within its automotive unit. This represents about 10 percent of Bosch’s German workforce. The timing for these cuts has not yet been specified.
ZF Friedrichshafen, following negotiations with its general works council and IG Metall union, announced in October that 7,600 jobs would be cut in its Electrified Powertrain Technology division. ZF Friedrichshafen is a major German company specialising in engineering and manufacturing, particularly in the automotive and industrial sectors.
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The restructuring is set to be completed by 2030, with the aim of strengthening competitiveness and avoiding compulsory redundancies.
Tesla’s Gigafactory in Grünheide, Brandenburg, reported in January that its workforce had shrunk by around 1,700 employees over the previous two years, dropping from 12,415 to 10,703. The company attributes the decline to normal fluctuation rather than formal layoffs.
Back in March last year, premium carmaker Audi also revealed it would cut 7,500 jobs in Germany by 2029.
Aviation
The aviation sector is also under pressure, with Lufthansa announcing last September that it would cut 4,000 jobs, or nearly four percent of its workforce.
The majority of these layoffs will happen in Germany and affect administrative roles across the group, which includes Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways. The cuts are expected to be completed by 2030.
Retail & Food Sector
Aldi Süd, one of Germany’s largest food retailers, confirmed in January that up to 500 jobs would be cut at its headquarters in Mülheim an der Ruhr, mainly in accounting, HR and purchasing. The process reportedly began last year and will continue over the coming years.
Steel Industry
Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe (TKSE) announced in January that 11,000 jobs have already been agreed for restructuring. But the union fears a further 2,000 to 3,000 jobs could still be lost. The cuts are centred in Düsseldorf and Duisburg and remain subject to ongoing negotiations.
Chemicals Sector
Wacker Chemie, a major player in the chemicals industry, stated in November that it would cut 1,500 jobs, almost 10 percent of its workforce, mostly in Germany. The process is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
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Media and Broadcasting
Broadcaster RTL Germany announced in December that it would cut 600 jobs across the group as part of a restructuring programme. In January, the group revealed that 230 of these job losses would take place at RTL News.
The changes, affecting staff in Cologne and elsewhere, were expected to begin in January.
Engineering and Banking
While the following two announcements were actually made in early 2025, they have been included here to illustrate the breadth of the current wave of job losses affecting Germany – including some of the biggest names in technology, engineering and banking.
Siemens announced last March that it would cut 2,750 jobs from its Digital Industries division in Germany. The timing for these cuts has not been specified.
Deutsche Bank also revealed in 2025 that it planned to close branches and cut around 2,000 jobs across Germany. The Commerzbank revealed plans to cut 3,900 jobs last February.
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Germany's sportswear giants
Further layoffs are also looming at German sportswear giants Adidas and Puma.
Adidas had announced 500 redundancies to come toward the beginning of last year, while Puma had announced in October that around 900 roles would be cut by the end of 2026.
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