Nissan to sack 900 workers in Europe

Nissan Motor has announced that it will cut about 900 jobs in Europe, around 10% of the total.

The Japanese automaker, in a statement on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, said the job cuts will focus on white-collar and warehouse roles, adding that the company’s current European headcount stands at about 9,300.

The company’s sweeping turnaround plan, launched last year under Chief Executive Ivan Espinosa, aims to restore profitability after heavy losses, reduce Nissan’s global manufacturing footprint and cut its total workforce by 15%.

“We have been taking decisive actions to ⁠enhance performance and create a leaner, more resilient business that adapts quickly to market changes,” the company said.

In addition to the layoffs, the Nissan Europe spokesperson said the carmaker, Japan’s fourth largest, was looking at other moves in Europe, including shifting to a distribution model managed by importer partners in Nordic markets.

The spokesperson stated: “The proposals in the consultation include a headcount reduction across Europe of 900 jobs, the partial closure of our warehouse in Barcelona, and in the Nordics market we are going to change the distribution model.

“We are also consolidating production in Sunderland plant from two lines to one line, because we are looking for opportunities with our parties ‌to maximize ⁠our plant utilization.”

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A Nissan Spain spokesperson said about 500 people in Spain work in the areas targeted by the layoffs, but added that the final figure will be negotiated with unions in the coming weeks and would likely be lower than that.

“This is a new disappointment by Nissan for which again the only solution that it seeks to adapt to a situation ⁠is to fire workers,” said Miguel Ruiz, leader of Spanish Nissan union USOC, adding that it was too early to know final job loss numbers.

In 2020, Nissan shut its main factories in Barcelona affecting around 3,000 jobs.

A spokesperson for Nissan Manufacturing UK ⁠told Reuters that the focus was white-collar roles and said that there would be no production job losses at the Sunderland plant.

Nissan is expected to update on the progress of ⁠its restructuring plan when it reports full-year financial results later this month, and has said it will announce further elements of its strategic direction later in the year.