BMW is reportedly planning to cut up to 8,000 jobs in Germany, as the European automaker looks to slash costs in the face of growing competition from China. According to The Wall Street Journal, BMW has started a "voluntary redundancy program" agreed to with employee representatives. That program includes severance deals for roles in the company's administration and development departments, while excluding production operations. BMW currently employs roughly 84,000 workers in Germany, and around 154,000 globally. In a statement, BMW CEO Milan Nedeljkovic detailed how the company has been dealing with "rapidly escalating challenges" since he became the company's chief executive in May 2026.