By P Gosselin on 11. March 2026
150,000 industrial jobs to be lost this year! 270,000 since 2018
Germany’s rust belt is expanding rapidly. Symbol image generated by Grok AI
The German employer association Gesamtmetall warns of a drastic crisis in the country’s metal and electrical industries, forecasting the loss of up to 150,000 jobs in 2026, reports Blackout News here.
The recent increase in orders is almost entirely driven by the state-funded defense sector. The rest of the core business remains weak and fails to provide long-term stability for the industry.
High energy costs, green bureaucracy to blame
Since 2018, the sector has already lost 270,000 jobs. According to CEO Oliver Zander, the situation can be described as “deindustrialization in time-lapse.” The primary reasons cited are high energy prices, high corporate taxes, rising social security contributions, and excessive bureaucracy in Germany.
VW to lay off 50,000 employees!
To illustrate the depth of the German deindustrialization crisis, the Volkswagen Group has confirmed plans to cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030, reports online RTL here. The information was disclosed in a letter to shareholders by CEO Oliver Blume and within the company’s annual report.
The target for job cuts has been raised from an initially planned 35,000 to 50,000. The decision follows a sharp decline in profits in 2025. Operating profit fell by more than half to €8.9 billion.
The company aims to significantly improve its operating margin to ensure long-term competitiveness. The job cuts will affect the entire Volkswagen Group in Germany, including major subsidiaries such as Audi and Porsche.
