German auto giants purge managers as they trim white-collar headcount
Volkswagen is cutting hundreds of management roles as part of a broader plan to prune around 50,000 indirect jobs by 2030; Porsche and BMW are also restructuring to reduce white-collar staff. External recruiters have been approached to place 400–500 departing managers, signaling a flood of managerial exits as admin costs run roughly 30% above peers. The moves come amid pressure from Chinese rivals and a push to simplify the group’s complex structure, with unions wary of deeper cuts.