Siemens to cut over 6,000 jobs globally in industrial automation and EV charging businesses

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GERMAN technology conglomerate Siemens has announced it is cutting more than 6,000 jobs from its global workforce by 2027.

Most of the affected jobs will be in  the industrial automation arm of Siemens Digital Industries, which will shrink by 5,600, amounting to 8% of its 68,000-strong global workforce. Around half of the cuts will be in Germany.

The automation business supplies robotics and industrial software to factories. However, Siemens said demand had fallen from “key markets” including China and Germany.

The company added in their statement last month that “increased competitive pressures have considerably reduced orders and revenue in the industrial automation business”.  

Siemens, which employs over 300,000 people around the world, also said it will be axing 450 jobs in its electric vehicle charging business. The company said this was due to “limited growth potential for low-power charging stations” and that they would be prioritising development of fast-charging infrastructure.

Siemens first proposed the job cuts last November after reporting a 46% slump in profits across its digital industries businesses. Industrial automation was previously Siemens’ most lucrative business, but it has suffered in recent years.

Juergen Kerner, vice-chairman of IG Metall and a Siemens supervisory board member, criticised the company’s job cuts as it shifts from traditional industries to new technology. He said: “Transformation is not achieved through downsizing, but through positive change [with] further development and training.”