Bosch Plans 10% Workforce Cut in Germany by 2030

Bosch, the world’s largest automotive supplier, announced plans to cut 13,000 jobs in Germany by 2030 due to rising competition from Chinese manufacturers. The reductions will affect roughly 10% of Bosch’s German workforce and are part of a broader effort to lower costs by €2.5 billion (US$2.7 billion) annually in the Mobility division, the company said.

Several factories will be impacted, including the Waiblingen plant near Bosch’s Stuttgart headquarters. Since 2024, Bosch has already eliminated 9,000 positions, half of which have been completed. “Germany and Europe remain central to Bosch,” said Stefan Grosch, Bosch’s head of human resources.

The company cited stagnating global automotive production, rising costs, US tariffs, and European scrutiny over slow progress in electric mobility and automated driving as drivers behind the workforce reduction. “We face enormous challenges with worldwide automotive production that remains stagnant,” Grosch said.

The Mobility division, which covers engine and drivetrain operations, faces overcapacity and strong price pressure, particularly from Asia, according to division head Thomas Pauer. In the electric propulsion segment, overcapacity continues, compounded by uncertainty surrounding the 2035 European phase-out of combustion engines, noted director Marco Zehe.

The cuts have drawn criticism from the IG Metall union. Frank Sell, president, Bosch’s Mobility works council, called the reductions a “historically large-scale” move with no guarantees for protecting German sites. He added, “The costs associated with this massive job reduction plan should instead be invested in product development and sustainable economic models.”

Other German automotive suppliers are making similar cuts. Continental, ZF, and Schaeffler have announced thousands of job reductions globally, while Volkswagen plans to reduce 35,000 positions in Germany, and Daimler Truck expects 5,000 fewer jobs.