Leadership and AI: "There has never been such a decline in the German economy": The end of the manager as a mass profession
All over the country, companies are dismantling historically grown structures. This is increasingly affecting well-paid executives. Experts warn: "The real earthquake is yet to come."
Several major German corporations, including Volkswagen, Deutsche Bahn, BMW, and Bayer, are cutting thousands of management positions to streamline hierarchies and reduce costs. Volkswagen plans to eliminate over 5,500 leadership roles by the end of the decade, with currently 21,500 managers employed worldwide. Deutsche Bahn is cutting around 30% of jobs in its corporate management, equivalent to over 1,000 employees, while Bayer has already reduced its workforce by 14,000 positions and its leadership positions by two-thirds.
The trend is driven by a combination of factors, including cost pressure and the increasing use of Artificial Intelligence, which is expected to significantly impact the role of middle management in the future.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
