In 2026, 22 automotive & transportation companies have cut a combined 198,885 jobs, averaging 15.3% of workforce per company.
The automotive sector faces a difficult transition in 2026. Volkswagen is cutting 19,000 German jobs by the end of 2026, the front-loaded bulk of its plan to cut up to 50,000 by 2030, driven by Chinese competition and a slower-than-expected EV transition. UPS and FedEx are restructuring logistics networks around automation.
| Company | People Cut | % of Workforce | Date | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Group | 50,000 | 7.5% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Volkswagen Group | 31,000 | 4.6% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| UPS | 30,000 | 6.0% | AI-DRIVEN | |
| Volkswagen Group | 19,000 | 2.8% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| Spirit Airlines | 14,000 | 100.0% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| Bosch | 13,000 | 3.1% | COST CUT | |
| BMW | 8,000 | 5.2% | COST CUT | |
| Porsche | 5,000 | 11.9% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Jaguar Land Rover | 4,000 | 10.0% | COST CUT | |
| Porsche | 3,900 | 9.3% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Uber | 3,300 | 9.7% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| WiseTech Global | 2,000 | 28.6% | AI-DRIVEN | |
| Lucid | 1,500 | 16.7% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| International Motors | 1,341 | 8.9% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Ultium Cells | 1,334 | 78.5% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| General Motors | 1,140 | 0.7% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| Iberia | 996 | 10.0% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| SK Battery America | 958 | 37.3% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| Nissan | 900 | 9.7% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| FedEx | 856 | 0.2% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Alan Ritchey | 729 | 24.3% | COST CUT | |
| Group 1 Automotive | 700 | 5.0% | COST CUT | |
| General Motors | 600 | 0.4% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Aer Lingus | 500 | 8.3% | COST CUT | |
| Daimler Truck North America | 375 | 1.3% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Uber | 340 | 1.0% | AI-DRIVEN | |
| Carlex Glass America | 325 | 10.8% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Lucid | 319 | 4.7% | COST CUT | |
| Rivian | 300 | 2.0% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| Expeditors International | 230 | 1.2% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| GXO Logistics | 220 | 0.1% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Power Safety Service | 189 | 100.0% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Cars.com | 185 | 10.9% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Saddle Creek Logistics Services | 178 | 7.4% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| FedEx | 173 | 0.0% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Pep Boys | 169 | 2.1% | MERGER | |
| Postal Center International | 164 | 29.3% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| PMG Indiana | 150 | 8.8% | WEAK DEMAND | |
| ChargePoint | 145 | 10.1% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| ZF Active Safety (ZF Group) | 133 | 0.1% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Transdev | 126 | 0.4% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Harley-Davidson | 100 | 1.8% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Ryder | 73 | 0.1% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Mercedes-Benz R and D North America | 72 | 2.4% | COST CUT | |
| CJ Logistics America | 57 | 4.1% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| CJ Logistics America | 56 | 4.1% | RESTRUCTURE | |
| Kenco Logistic Services | 52 | 0.7% | RESTRUCTURE |