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Siemens to slash thousands of jobs worldwide in power and gas unit: report

German industrial conglomerate Siemens plans to slash thousands of jobs in its power and gas division hit by a drop in orders, a German magazine report said on Thursday.

Published: 19 October 2017 13:45 CEST

Siemens to slash thousands of jobs worldwide in power and gas unit: report

File photo: DPA.

The group intends to “close or sell” up to 11 of the unit's 23 sites around the world, according to Manager Magazin, citing sources at the company.

“That would entail cutting thousands of jobs, including in Germany,” the monthly magazine wrote.

Some 30,000 workers are currently employed in the division, 12,000 of them in Germany, it added.

The restructuring comes as Siemens, whose products range from wind turbines to trains to medical equipment, grapples with falling demand for gas-fired power plants as countries switch to renewable energy.

In August, Siemens reported a 40-percent plunge in new orders at its power and gas unit in the third quarter of its fiscal year.

It also complained of “volatility” in orders for offshore wind turbines.

Siemens was not immediately available for comment when contacted by AFP.

But a spokesman told Manager Magazin that the group was continually considering its strategic direction and that this could include “consolidating certain activities”.

Siemens plans to present the overhaul to employees in “early November”, according to the magazine.

Jobs in eastern Germany are particularly at risk, it added, with management reportedly considering selling a generator plant in Erfurt and shutting down a turbine factory in Goerlitz.

The last shake-up of Siemens' troubled power and gas business in 2015 led to 1,100 job cuts in Germany, as part of a wider overhaul that saw the group slash 13,100 jobs worldwide.

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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