Volkswagen employs about 630,000 people worldwide, with some estimates reaching roughly 680,000 when including joint ventures in China. Several outlets describe this headcount as unusually large for the global auto industry. The workforce grew during periods when it reflected Germany’s industrial strength and VW’s high profitability, but it has become a financial burden as the company faces mounting challenges. With profits under pressure, Volkswagen has already cut thousands of jobs in the past year. Now, the automaker is preparing further reductions, with Deutsche Welle reporting plans to cut up to 100,000 positions. The rationale across the coverage is that Volkswagen’s size and costs leave it less flexible than competitors, particularly newer and more agile Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturers. The reported job cuts are intended to restore cost efficiency and improve the company’s ability to compete as the market shifts toward EVs and as competition intensifies. While the scale of the cuts is significant, the sources characterize them as part of an ongoing restructuring effort rather than a single, isolated move.