Crisis in the automotive industry – supplier Schaeffler wants to cut 4,700 jobs

2,800 of these relate to German jobs, but on Tuesday morning it was still unclear to what extent Schaeffler Austria, with around 466 employees and production in Berndorf, would be affected.

Ten locations in Germany and another five in Europe have been affected, the company, which employs 120,000 people worldwide after its merger with rival Vitesco, announced at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Franconia. Two of the five European locations will close completely. The package of measures will be implemented between 2025 and 2027. From 2029, 290 million euros should be saved annually, it was said.

Company promises measures ‘with a sense of proportion’
“The program is necessary in the current environment to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the Schaeffler Group. We will implement it in a socially responsible manner and with a sense of proportion,” said Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler.

Currently, hardly a day goes by without new bad news from the sector, which is important for both Germany and Austria. It was recently announced that Audi will close its factory in Brussels next year. Thousands of employees are affected. Parent company Volkswagen plans further location closures and thus the reduction of numerous additional employees. Those workers who are not affected by the job losses are likely to earn significantly less in the future. According to the works council, income reductions of up to 18 percent are being considered. Four billion euros should be saved in this way.

Austrian companies are also shaking
Austrian companies are also shaking, as 900 companies produce for the automotive industry. For example, Voest, ZKW and Miba count the Volkswagen Group among their customers. In fact, 300 companies in Austria are pure vehicle suppliers. More than 200,000 people work in the sector.