Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will launch a voluntary redundancy program in the UK as the British automaker seeks to cut costs amid a particularly challenging environment. The company announced its intention to save approximately €2 billion over the next two years to adapt to the evolving global automotive market. However, the group has not confirmed the figure of 4,000 job cuts reported by the British press.
The proposed program initially concerns employees paid on a fixed-rate basis, as well as management. JLR explains that it wants to simplify its organization, improve its efficiency, and strengthen its ability to withstand economic shocks. The manufacturer employs approximately 30,000 people in the United Kingdom, primarily at its sites in Coventry, Solihull, Wolverhampton, and Halewood, in addition to nearly 10,000 employees at its overseas locations.
A manufacturer still scarred by the 2025 cyberattack
This announcement comes approximately one year after the cyberattack that paralyzed JLR. In September 2025, all production was halted for several weeks, preventing the group's factories from producing a single vehicle. The shutdown caused a 27% drop in annual production and generated an estimated cost of €2,3 billion. The manufacturer subsequently announced a major cost-cutting plan to contribute to its recovery.
JLR's difficulties, however, are not limited to the consequences of this attack. The manufacturer must also contend with declining sales and the impact of tariffs on the automotive industry. The Unite union denounces a situation that has become particularly worrying and states that it is working with the British government to limit the social consequences of the plan. The union's general secretary is scheduled to meet soon with JLR's CEO, PB Balaji, alongside the British Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds.
