German auto giant BMW to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide

German carmaker BMW is to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide, with positions reduced through natural staff turnover and a voluntary redundancy programme in Germany, sources told dpa on Wednesday.

The redundancy scheme is set to run from October 2026 until the end of 2027 and is aimed at all employees in Germany who are not directly involved in production. Around 84,000 of the company's 154,000 employees work in Germany.

BMW declined to comment.

Munich-based BMW is the last major German car manufacturer to carry out a major job-cutting programme after a series of cuts at Volkswagen, Mercedes, Audi and Porsche.

The entire German car industry, a pillar of Europe's largest economy, is suffering from a slump in the crucial Chinese market amid sharply increasing domestic competition. US tariffs and the crisis in the Middle East have exacerbated the difficulties.

BMW has fared better than many of its German rivals in recent years. The company has invested heavily in developing its next-generation electric vehicle platform. Company sources said lower development spending following that investment is also a factor behind the workforce reduction programme.

Even without redundancy announcements, the company's workforce has been shrinking, falling by around 2,000 employees between mid-2025 and mid-2026.

BMW is due to report first-half earnings on Thursday. The results will be the first under Milan Nedeljković, who became chief executive in May.

Expectations have already been dampened by declining sales figures and a profit warning issued by the company in June.