Japanese car company Nissan has announced a big plan to cut jobs across Europe as part of a global restructuring. The company plans to remove about 10% of its European workforce, which shows a major cost-cutting move. Nissan has already started informing workers about these changes internally.
Around 900 office jobs could be cut in countries like the UK, France, and Spain, as per The Sun report. Right now, Nissan employs about 9,300 people in Europe, so the cuts are a big portion. The company is also planning changes at its major UK plant in Sunderland. Nissan will combine two production lines into one at the Sunderland factory. The Sunderland plant currently has around 6,000 workers and is the UK’s biggest car factory.
Nissan layoff plan
Reports say this production line merge may not directly cause job losses at the plant. The plant is currently running at only 50% capacity, meaning it is not fully used. Nissan is now looking to use this extra space by partnering with other companies. The company is in talks with Chinese carmaker Chery and other partners. These partners could build cars at the Sunderland plant using the unused capacity. Nissan said it is exploring opportunities with third parties to “maximise plant utilisation.”
Sunderland factory changes
The Sunderland plant makes popular models like the Qashqai. Production of the new Leaf electric car has also started there recently. The extra space created by removing one production line could be used by another carmaker, possibly a Chinese firm, as stated by The Sun.
Reports link this opportunity again to Chery, which owns brands like Omoda and Jaecoo. Nissan says these tough steps are needed to protect its future in Europe. The company also said the goal is to protect jobs in the long term and stay competitive.
This move is part of a much bigger global restructuring plan. Globally, Nissan plans to cut around 20,000 jobs and close factories. The company has been struggling financially in recent years. It reported a huge £3.8 billion loss in the 2024/25 financial year, as cited by The Sun. Because of this, Nissan started cost-cutting steps earlier as well.
Auto industry job cuts
In June, Nissan started a voluntary job cut plan in the UK. The company wanted to reduce around 250 jobs at its Sunderland factory. Nissan said this step was taken to work better and become a simpler and more efficient company. A company spokesperson said employees were given a choice to leave on their own, with support from the company. The spokesperson also said the aim is to make the company stronger and more competitive.
Nissan is not the only car company cutting jobs. Bentley has also said it may cut up to 275 jobs at its UK plant. This is about 6% of its workers in Crewe, according to The Sun. Volkswagen is planning to cut around 50,000 jobs by the end of this decade. These job cuts are happening because the global car market is becoming more difficult, and companies want to save money. Overall, Nissan’s job cuts in Europe and factory changes show that the company is facing a serious situation right now.
FAQs
Q1. Why is Nissan cutting jobs in Europe?
Nissan is cutting jobs to save money, fix losses, and stay competitive in the tough car market.
Q2. How many jobs will Nissan cut in Europe?
Nissan plans to cut about 10% of its Europe workforce, which could be around 900 office jobs.
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