Nissan has announced plans to cut 11,000 more jobs and close seven factories worldwide, intensifying a cost-cutting programme driven by falling global demand, rising competition, and weak performance in key markets, including China and the US. The move brings total layoffs over the past year to around 20,000, roughly 15% of the company’s workforce.
The Japanese carmaker has faced sustained pressure from sliding sales in China, where local electric vehicle brands like BYD have surged, and from margin-eroding discounting in the US. Last year’s failed merger talks with Honda and Mitsubishi, which aimed to create a $60 billion global automotive player, further stalled recovery efforts.
Roughly two-thirds of the new redundancies will affect manufacturing roles, with the rest spread across admin, sales, R&D, and contracted staff. Details on which locations will be impacted, including Nissan’s Sunderland facility, which is home to around 6,000 jobs, have not yet been disclosed.
These cuts follow a previous round of 9,000 layoffs announced in November as part of a broader initiative to reduce production capacity by 20% globally. Nissan has also cancelled plans to build a new EV and battery plant in Japan, signalling a pullback on capital investment.
Nissan’s annual financials revealed a loss of ¥ $670 billion ($4.5 billion), with the company citing ongoing uncertainty around US tariffs and rising operational costs. No income forecast was issued for the current year. Despite a slight increase in US retail sales, global demand remains soft. Sales dropped 12% in China and declined across Japan and Europe.
