The programme, reported by Reuters and local German media, will focus on voluntary redundancies and early retirement rather than compulsory layoffs. In Germany, the programme will begin in October 2026 and target administrative and development roles, with production operations excluded.
The cuts come as BMW faces weaker demand, intensifying competition from Chinese manufacturers and pressure on margins. According to BMW’s Q2 2026 financial report, group revenue fell to around €31.3 billion, while earnings before tax dropped 35% year-on-year to €1.7 billion. Deliveries fell 4.9% to around 591,000 vehicles, with sales in China plunging by more than 30%.
The 2025 Group Report confirmed that BMW employed 154,540 employees at the end of 2025, meaning the planned reduction represents around 5% of its global workforce.
BMW is the latest major German carmaker to announce significant workforce reductions. Earlier this year, Volkswagen Group announced its most extensive restructuring programme to date, with plans that could see up to 100,000 jobs cut worldwide over the coming years.
