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VW says it can’t rule out job cuts amid plans for electric new start

German car giant Volkswagen said Thursday it is looking for three billion euros in new savings to help fund its pivot towards electric vehicles, adding that it could not rule out job cuts.

Published: 6 December 2018 14:14 CET

VW says it can't rule out job cuts amid plans for electric new start

Photo: DPA

Without more savings, profitability at VW's historic own-brand cars division “will not be enough to be completely ready for the future,” said Arno Antlitz, chief financial officer at the unit, adding “enormous investments” were needed.

The belt-tightening drive comes on top of a programme launched in 2017 that has already found €2.2 billion of savings, the group said.

Added together, the schemes should allow the unit to achieve a profit margin of “at least six percent” by 2022, three years earlier than planned and up from the four to five percent it aims for in 2020.

After admitting in 2015 to manipulating millions of diesel vehicles worldwide to appear less polluting in regulatory tests, Volkswagen hopes to leave its “dieselgate” scandal behind with a massive electrification programme.

The sprawling 12-brand group said in mid-November it would invest €44 billion by 2023 to speed up the transition away from internal combustion engines — including €11 billion at the core VW brand alone.

Costs have been slashed by reducing the number of variants of each car, increasing productivity at the group's plants and “optimising raw materials costs”.

The group provided no estimates of the impact its new savings drive would have on jobs, but “further cuts to staffing will be inevitable,” a senior manager told business daily Handelsblatt.

“There are opportunities for cuts in administration,” finance chief Antlitz said, on top of the 21,000 job cuts worldwide by 2020 already planned for the VW own-brand division.

Germany's vital car industry has fallen behind on electric cars compared with foreign competitors, only taking the technology more seriously since the 'dieselgate' scandal erupted.

Emissions cheating has so far cost VW €28 billion and sent sales of diesel vehicles plummeting in Germany and further afield.

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The best-paid jobs you can get without a university degree in Germany

One of the reasons so many people decide to move to Germany is to take advantage of the healthy jobs market and decent salaries. In 2024, the average worker in the Bundesrepublik was taking home €51,900 per year before tax, and in many sectors the average is even higher.

But if you don’t have a university degree or professional qualification, you may feel like you’re limited to jobs at the bottom of the ladder and doomed to take a lower salary than you’re worth.

But there are plenty of fields with high earning potential that have relatively low barriers to entry. Which is good news for many, considering that the number of school drop-outs is rising in Germany.

Here are some of the best-paid jobs you can find in Germany that don’t require endless years of studying or training.

Real estate agent

If you think you can sell anything to anyone and love the idea of closing big deals, becoming a real estate agent – or realtor in American English – could be the way to go.

This varied job involves advising and supporting your clients in their search for a dream property, hosting viewings, creating advertising materials and contracts and ensuring all the relevant transactions go through. It’s ideal for anyone with good attention to detail and warm, sociable personality.

A miniature house with new house keys.

A miniature house with new house keys. Photo by Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash

There’s no special training or qualification required to become a real estate agent, but in Germany you do need to apply for a licence known as a Maklererlaubnis to start practising.

Once you get going, you can earn between three and seven percent commission on the sale price of each property you sell. Of course, you final salary will depend on your success rate and the property market in your area, but Stufyflix puts the average at around €3,930 per month.

U-Bahn or tram driver

Though you may not notice them most days, public transport drivers keep life moving in German cities – and they tend to be pretty well remunerated as well.

Generally, you’ll be responsible for working shifts driving trams or U-Bahns around the city, helping people get from A to B and responding appropriately in the case of an emergency.

A big advantage of moving into this profession is that you generally only need around B1 or B2 German: it’s more important to hold a driving licence and show a willingness to learn.

Another great thing to note is that these jobs are heavily unionised. Many tram and bus drivers will tell you that it’s no easy job, but at least you’ve got a union fighting to improve your pay and conditions.

For people looking to change careers, the good news is that the initial training only lasts around six months, and you’ll earn a liveable salary between €2,100 and €2,800 during this period.

After that, salaries depend on location but tend to average around €40,000 per year, with bonuses for working nights, weekends and public holidays.

Software developer

With average salaries around €5,800 per month, the IT sector is one of the most lucrative fields in the German job market.

The best part is, you don’t need a degree in computer science to get a job as a programmer in today’s market. In fact, many start-ups are happy to offer jobs – with generous starting salaries – to self-taught programmers or people who have graduated three-month bootcamps.

If you’re currently unemployed, many of these fast-track courses are paid for by the job centre, so you can learn to be a software developer completely for free. Otherwise, there are plenty of online courses you can take on websites like Udemy or books you can buy to learn languages like C+, Python and Ruby at next to no expense whatsoever.

Carpenter

Though carpenters do generally need one or two years of training, the great thing about this type of hands-on field is that you can enter as an apprentice and get paid to work while you train.

There are several different types of carpentry, from building shelving units for industrial buildings to erecting the bare bones of a residential property.

A carpenter sands down a block of wood in Cologne. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Federico Gambarini

Asking friends and colleagues to recommend a trustworthy builder is a good option. (Photo by Nasim ISAMOV / AFP)

If you’re good with your hands, love being physical active and overcoming technical challenges, carpentry could be a great career for you – and the money’s nothing to sniff at either.

Once qualified, the average carpenter in Germany earns around €43,700 per year, but this can rise to as much as €52,000. And with Germany battling a severe shortages of skilled carpenters, salaries are bound to keep rising in the coming years.

Administrative assistant

If you’re someone who likes to stay organised and presentable, then moving into a career as an administrative assistant could be the ideal move for you.

Though the specifics of the job depend on the company, most administrative assistants spend their days making sure everything in the office ticks over as it should, answering the phone, distributing memos, organising appointments, preparing reports and carrying out other important administrative tasks. In Germany, of course, you may also need to be proficient in the use of a fax machine.

Though there’s no formal qualifications or training required to become an admin assistant, you’ll need to show you have the qualities and skills required, including good organisation, excellent communication skills, the ability to multitask and strong attention to detail.

According to jobs portal WorkerHero, administrative assistants earn an average of €41,730 per year in Germany, but if you end up as a personal assistant to a high-powered corporate executive, the pay can go much higher.

Bank clerk

If you’ve got a good head for numbers and enjoy offering advice and assistance, transitioning into banking could be a sensible – and lucrative – career move.

Generally, you’ll need to do a traineeship with a bank to break into this field, but no degree is required – and once in there are good chances for progression.

Interestingly, the banking sector is one area of the economy where skilled workers are desperately needed, so get your foot in the door now and you’ll be in a great position to negotiate salaries later.

A sign for Postbank, one of the major banks in Germany.

A sign for Postbank, one of the major banks in Germany. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Marijan Murat

According to job search portal Indeed, the average bank clerk in Germany earns a very respectable €45,500 per year, but that can go up depending on the bank you work for and your specialisms.

If you work your way up the ladder, the pay goes up incredibly quickly, with some bank managers earning as much as €75,000 per year.

Events planner

Though events planning is no easy ride, it can be a huge buzz for people who thrive under pressure and enjoy the satisfaction of pulling off a dream wedding or a major corporate event.

People with impeccable organisation skills, a sociable attitude and naturally elegant taste will find themselves well-suited to this career, and the best part is that no formal qualifications are needed – though taking a short course could help you learn the ropes faster.

Once you’re underway and working with clients, the sky’s the limit to how much you can earn: some of the best paid wedding and events planners earn as much as €100,000 per year.

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