Bosch to sack 13,000 workers

German industrial giant Bosch has announced it would cut 13,000 jobs, mostly in its auto unit.

The cuts, all of which will take place in Germany, represent about 10 percent of Bosch’s total workforce in the country, and three percent of its staff worldwide.

Bosch – the world’s biggest auto supplier, making everything from braking and steering systems to sensors – said the layoffs were needed to help make annual savings of 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) in the group’s car unit.

“Demand for our products is shifting significantly to regions outside Europe. We need to orient ourselves to where our markets and customers are,” the head of industrial relations at Bosch, Stefan Grosch, said on Thursday, September 25, 2025.

The auto industry in Europe’s biggest economy has been hammered by fierce competition in key market China, weak demand, and a slower than expected shift to electric vehicles.

Workers’ representatives, in an interview with AFP, vowed to resist the cuts, labelling them “unprecedented”.

Another U.S. agency to sack 3,700 workers

Bosch had already announced 9,000 layoffs since last year, and other automotive suppliers, including Schaeffler and Continental, have also laid off thousands.

The top carmakers themselves are facing serious problems, with 10-brand Volkswagen – Europe’s top automaker – planning to cut thousands of jobs in Germany as sales and profits slide.

Sports car maker Porsche, a VW subsidiary, last week hit the brakes on its EV rollout due to weak demand.

The shift to EVs has been a key challenge, with many groups having invested heavily in the transition, but electric cars failing to take off in a major way in Europe.

A fierce automotive price war in China is meanwhile cutting into car-part makers’ margins, reducing their room for manoeuvre.

The Star