Volkswagen backs plan for up to 50,000 more job cuts

Volkswagen’s supervisory board has approved CEO Oliver Blume’s plan to make the carmaker smaller: up to 50,000 additional jobs could go, the model range could be cut roughly in half, and four German plants will lose vehicle production as their current models run out. The agreement matters because employee representatives sit on the board, so their support gives Blume room to simplify a company built around many brands, factories, and overlapping products. The 50,000 figure is a planning assumption tied to a goal of a 9% operating margin by 2030, rather than a finalized list of layoffs. The vote strengthens Blume’s hand, but it leaves decisions over the four sites and the balance of power between management and worker representatives to be settled.