Ford's employees in Europe thought the worst was behind them when the automaker's two-year restructuring program was completed at the end of 2020, resulting in 10,000 layoffs and the closing of parts plants in Britain and France, along with car factories in Russia.
But it now seems Ford has not yet reached the lowest point. Ford plans to slash up to 3,200 jobs in Germany, with small reductions possible at Ford's operations in the UK and Belgium.
This latest jobs cull is particularly dramatic because the layoffs could result in the loss of 2,500 of the 3,800 jobs at its technical center in Merkenich, Cologne.
The reduction in development capacities means that the Ford's U.S. management is permanently withdrawing potentially important value-creating activities from Europe and is also an admission that it can no longer recapture the lost market share.