Car giant Ford has said it will cut thousands of jobs over the next three years - with hundreds going in the UK. The firm has said it will shed 3,800 posts across Europe as it carries out a major overhaul of the business.
The lost jobs will include 1,300 in the UK, it has said. The firm, founded by Henry Ford in 1903, employs around 172,000 staff across Europe with approximately 8,500 of these in the UK.
The cuts come as it says it plans to reshape the brand and focus on a smaller range of electric vehicles. The global carmaker said 2,800 engineering roles will be axed by 2025, and around 1,000 jobs in its administrative, marketing, sales and distribution teams across Europe are set to go.
Ford said the shake-up will pave the way for a profitable future and to compete with rival car brands in Europe, which has faced significant economic and political challenges. The job losses will create a “leaner, more competitive cost structure” for the business and help with the transition toward a smaller, more focused and increasingly electric product portfolio, the company said.
Martin Sander, the general manager of Ford Model e in Europe, said: “These are difficult decisions, not taken lightly. We recognise the uncertainty it creates for our team, and I assure them we will be offering them our full support in the months ahead.
“We will engage in consultations with our social partners so we can move forward together on building a thriving future for our business in Europe.”
