Ford to eliminate 3,800 engineering, administration jobs in Europe

Ford plans to eliminate 3,800 product development and administration jobs in Europe in the next three years, the company said on Tuesday, citing rising costs and the need for a leaner structure as it pivots production to electric vehicles.

Around 2,300 jobs will be cut in Germany, 1,300 in the UK and 200 in the rest of Europe, the company said, adding it intends to achieve the reductions through voluntary separation programmes.

The American carmaker will retain around 3,400 engineers in Europe who will build on core technology provided by their U.S. counterparts and adapt it to European customers, European passenger electric vehicle (EV) chief and head of Ford Germany Martin Sander said on a press call.

“There is significantly less work to be done on drivetrains moving out of combustion engines. We are moving into a world with less global platforms where less engineering work is necessary. This is why we have to make the adjustments,” Sander said.