Speciality chemicals manufacturer Evonik plans to cut 3200 jobs between 2027 and 2029, including 2150 from its operations in Germany.
Chief executive Christian Kullmann attributed the cuts to the uncertain global political situation, weak economic growth and ‘increasingly fierce’ international competition. ‘We must become stronger in this environment,’ he said. ‘Our fate is in our own hands, and we are determined to seize our opportunities.’ Evonik asserts that those opportunities lie in increased efficiency, digitalisation, outsourcing and potentially offshoring – moving operations lo lower-cost regions.
Evonik will discontinue its global polyester business – closing its site in Witten, Germany, which employs 266 people, alongside 45 associated job cuts in Marl, Germany, and 35 in Shanghhai, China. Evonik says the unit has not been profitable for several years
The cuts come on top of Evonik’s existing restructuring programme, which began in 2023 and aimed to cut 2800 jobs by 2026, to save €400 million (£345 million) in annual costs. The company says it intends the cuts to be ‘socially acceptable’ – meaning they will be managed through mechanisms including voluntary redundancy, staff turnover and retirement rather than enforced job losses.
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