Frankfurt (Germany), 22 Sept. (LaPresse) – Evonik has announced a new cost-cutting plan involving 3,200 job cuts, 2,150 of which will be in Germany. The German chemicals group made the announcement following a strategic meeting in Essen, confirming the restructuring plans first announced in June. The new programme will be implemented by 2029 and, according to the company, will be carried out in a socially responsible manner and without redundancies on business grounds. The measures envisaged include not filling vacancies as they arise, early retirement schemes and voluntary redundancy schemes with incentives. “The Executive Board, the Supervisory Board and employee representatives share a common conviction: we are facing a structural and economic crisis in our industry,” said Evonik’s interim CEO, Claus Rettig. The group also intends to reorganise its product portfolio based on the respective product profiles and assign specific tasks to its six main production sites in Germany. Evonik is focusing its growth efforts primarily on the Asian and American markets, where it is evaluating new investment projects. The new plan complements the cost-saving and efficiency programmes already underway, which are expected to lead to the reduction of around 2,800 jobs by the end of 2026. At the end of 2025, Evonik had 31,053 employees, around 900 fewer than the previous year. The group had also announced the closure of its polyester business, which generated annual turnover of around 150 million euros.
Germany: Evonik announces 3,200 job cuts
Frankfurt (Germany), 22 Sept. (LaPresse) – Evonik has announced a new cost-cutting plan involving 3,200 job cuts, 2,150 of which will be in Germany. The German chemicals group made the announcement following a strategic meeting in Essen, confirming the restructuring plans first announced in June. The new programme will be implemented by 2029 and, according to the company, will be carried out in a socially responsible manner and without redundancies on business grounds. The measures envisaged include not filling vacancies as they arise, early retirement schemes and voluntary redundancy schemes with incentives. “The Executive Board, the Supervisory Board and employee representatives share a common conviction: we are facing a structural and economic crisis in our industry,” said Evonik’s interim CEO, Claus Rettig. The group also intends to reorganise its product portfolio based on the respective product profiles and assign specific tasks to its six main production sites in Germany. Evonik is focusing its growth efforts primarily on the Asian and American markets, where it is evaluating new investment projects. The new plan complements the cost-saving and efficiency programmes already underway, which are expected to lead to the reduction of around 2,800 jobs by the end of 2026. At the end of 2025, Evonik had 31,053 employees, around 900 fewer than the previous year. The group had also announced the closure of its polyester business, which generated annual turnover of around 150 million euros.