FRANKFURT (AFP): BMW is set to offer voluntary redundancy to nearly half of its German staff as the premium carmaker moves to eliminate 8,000 jobs by the end of 2027, a report said Wednesday. “The workforce will ultimately be reduced by around 8,000 people by the end of 2027,” the source said. BMW employs about 154,000 people worldwide and the offer would be open to German employees in desk-based roles, the source said. Suffering from slimmer margins on electric cars, U.S. tariffs and above all intense Chinese competition, German carmakers have sought to cut overheads. Volkswagen is weighing up to 100,000 job cuts across its 10 brands while Mercedes-Benz has its own voluntary redundancy program.