BMW plans to reduce its workforce by up to 8,000 positions by the end of 2027, primarily targeting office jobs while sparing production line workers, according to company sources.

The Munich-based automaker aims to achieve the cuts through natural staff turnover and a voluntary redundancy scheme. The latter will offer severance packages to all non-production employees in Germany from October 2026 to the end of 2027.

BMW currently employs 84,000 people in Germany and roughly 154,000 globally. The planned cuts come as the company faces sharply falling sales in China, with deliveries in the second quarter dropping 30% year-on-year and last year's figures hitting their lowest since 2017.

BMW is the latest German carmaker to announce job cuts, following similar moves by Volkswagen, Mercedes, and Audi. Germany's prestigious auto industry is struggling with stiff competition from Chinese manufacturers, US tariffs, and narrow profit margins on electric vehicles.

BMW is due to announce its first-half 2026 earnings on Thursday.

Source: www.dw.com