On May 18, 2026, Inter IKEA Group announced plans to cut 850 jobs, roughly 3.1% of its 27,700 employees, including about 300 positions in Sweden. The cuts target middle management and administrative overhead at the holding company that owns the IKEA brand, not store-level workers.
"Despite many positive achievements, Inter Ikea Group has grown a bit too complex and too fragmented in a retail environment that requires simplicity and speed," Henrik Elm, chief financial officer of Inter IKEA Group, said in a statement. The company added that the "final impact" would be confirmed as the restructuring process progressed.
Inter IKEA Group is the franchiser and brand owner. It licenses the IKEA name and concept to operators like Ingka Group, which runs most IKEA stores under franchise. This makes it the second IKEA corporate entity to announce significant layoffs in 2026.