Wacker Chemie AG is accelerating its global cost-cutting drive, confirming a major restructuring plan that will see around 1,600 jobs reduced across Germany as part of its broader “PACE” efficiency programme aimed at saving more than €300 million annually.
The company and employee representatives have agreed on what they call a “socially responsible” roadmap for the cuts, which will be carried out without forced layoffs.
Instead, the plan relies on voluntary measures including early retirement schemes and severance agreements. Employees across German sites will also temporarily accept a four percent reduction in working hours and pay until 2028 as part of a solidarity contribution.
“With the agreement we have now concluded, we have reached an important milestone in driving forward the necessary transformation in Germany and strengthening our competitiveness,” WACKER CEO Christian Hartel said.
The bulk of the job reductions will hit the company’s largest site in Burghausen, where 1,300 positions are set to go. Another 200 jobs will be cut at Nünchritz, 60 at the Munich headquarters, and 50 across other German locations. All structural changes are scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
“We have already implemented numerous measures at our international sites that make us more flexible, more efficient and faster. Now, the implementation phase will start in Germany as well,” Hartel added.
The restructuring also includes operational changes such as consolidating production facilities, increasing shift flexibility, and moving roles into international service hubs.
Personnel Director Angela Wörl said the company had worked with employee representatives to ensure the process remains orderly and fair.
“Together with the employee representatives, we have come up with good solutions to implement the necessary structural measures in Germany not only quickly, but, above all, in a socially responsible manner,” she said.
“This will strengthen the position of our German sites in the face of international competition and lay the foundation for future profitable growth.”
The PACE programme, launched in October 2025, marks a significant push by WACKER to streamline operations and improve competitiveness amid global cost pressures.
