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Deutsche Bahn plans massive savings program

Faced with collapsing freight traffic due to the world economic crisis, state-owned Deutsche Bahn says “everything is on the table” as it considers plans to save millions of Euros, the Tagesspiegel reported Saturday.

Published: 7 March 2009 12:45 CET

Deutsche Bahn plans massive savings program

Photo: DPA

The railway operator has not yet named an exact sum it plans to save, though the savings plan is expected to be finalized by the end of March, the newspaper reported.

The railway operator has already taken 35,000 freight cars out of service as the German and European economies sink further into recession. The company is also considering a hiring freeze and possible layoffs for workers in its regional train services. Business conditions have worsened so dramatically that the company has refused to issue profit estimates for 2009.

“We must adjust to these changing positions and react decisively,” Bahn CEO Hartmut Mehdorn told the Tagesspiegel. The company carries a heavy debt load and interest payments are having a “heavy impact” on the firm. The newspaper cited sources who said, “every post stamp will be scrutinized,” as part of the cost-cutting measures.

The company had been extremely profitable, reporting a €1.7 billion profit in 2007. Financial results for 2008 have not yet been announced. In December, Deutsche Bahn announced a 3.9 percent price increase on tickets and discount cards.

The government tried to partially privatize the railway last year, but had to shelve plans after the financial crisis wreaked havoc on global stock markets, limiting the government’s potential earnings from a sale. Deutsche Bahn planned to use some of the money it made from an initial public offering to expand further across Europe. In the past year and a half, the company has purchased stakes in British, Polish and Spanish rail operators.

Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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