BERLIN — BMW and its employee representatives are getting ready to sit down for talks after the German luxury automaker dramatically lowered its profit expectations and committed to stepping up efforts to cut costs, according to a spokesperson for the company’s general works council.
“We are initially working on viable solutions — through dialogue and with a sense of responsibility toward our employees,” the works council spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters, offering no additional specifics.
Earlier this week, BMW issued a formal profit warning, pointing to persistent sluggishness in the Chinese automobile market — the largest in the world — as well as financial pressures stemming from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The automaker also announced plans to intensify structural cost reductions, noting that these measures would likely produce a one-time financial impact during the second half of the year.
While competitors Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have already unveiled broad job-cut programs, BMW has stopped short of similar announcements. However, the company’s overall headcount did dip slightly in 2025, and that downward trend is expected to carry into the current year.
