The Volkswagen group had a bruising year in profits and plans to cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030 — a dramatic escalation of its cost-cutting programme after net profit slumped 44% to €6.9bn in 2025, the carmaker's worst result since the diesel emissions scandal nearly a decade ago.
The announcement, made by chief executive Oliver Blume in Wolfsburg on Tuesday, goes well beyond the 35,000 job reduction the group had already agreed with trade unions at the end of 2024.
