Ford to cut 4,000 jobs
Ford has announced plans to axe 4,000 jobs from its European workforce as it battles weaker-than-expected demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and faces “challenges” around operating costs.
The cuts are equal to about 14 per cent of its staff numbers in Europe, or 2.3 per cent of its 174,000 employees worldwide, and most of the jobs to go will be in Germany and the UK.
Ford says the layoffs should take place by the end of 2027, pending union discussions
It adds 2,900 jobs face the chop in Germany and all of these will be at its main site in Cologne, while a further 800 roles will be cut in the UK, reports Reuters.
Peter Godsell, Ford Europe vice-president, says the company is experiencing “weaker demand for electric vehicles than we had previously forecast and we continue to have challenges around our operating costs”.
It also blames poor government support in some countries for the transition to EVs and competition from subsidised Chinese rivals for the need to trim its workforce.
Godsell adds that due to those industry pressures, Ford is taking “decisive action” to restructure its business but he warns there could be further cuts if market conditions worsen.
