German automaker BMW will offer voluntary departure packages to nearly half of its workforce in Germany, aiming to eliminate approximately 8,000 jobs by the end of 2027, it was revealed today.
A source within the German group told the AFP news agency that around 40,000 of BMW’s 85,000 employees in Germany will receive these offers starting in October. The offers exclude production staff, and the move is part of a broader plan that reflects the crisis currently facing Germany’s automotive industry.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that BMW sold 1,156,742 vehicles under the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands in the first half of the year, down 4.2% from the same period last year, hurt by declining sales in the Chinese market.
Read more: BMW profit falls 3% in 2025 to €7.451 billion due to strong China competition
The BMW group reported on July 10 that sales of its core BMW brand fell between January and June to 1,004,681 units, a drop of 6.2%, while Mini sales rose to 149,538 units, an increase of 11.7%.
Sales of the luxury Rolls-Royce brand fell during the same period to 2,523 units, a year-on-year decline of 9.8%. Similarly, sales of electric and hybrid models dropped to 295,407 units, down 7.4% compared to the same period in 2025. Jochen Goller, the board member responsible for the group’s sales, noted that despite global challenges, the company managed to increase sales in the United States and Europe.
