Nissan will cut jobs at its European regional office in Montigny, France, under CEO Ivan Espinosa’s global restructuring plan.
According to a Reuters report, the Japanese automaker will cut 87 jobs as it seeks to streamline operations and restore profitability amid ongoing difficulties in important markets like Europe.
Under Espinosa’s plan, the restructuring will see Nissan reduce its global output by around a third to 2.5 million vehicles, streamline its manufacturing base by closing seven of its 17 plants and cut its headcount by 15%, equivalent to 20,000 jobs.
Most affected roles are in marketing and sales, according to the news agency.
Of the 87 positions the company plans to eliminate, 64 were already occupied at the time the company and employees’ representatives reached the agreement last month.
Nissan is creating 34 new roles and opening further vacancies to support internal redeployment, so the final number of redundancies is expected to be lower.
The cuts will be implemented in phases, starting with a voluntary separation programme.
If voluntary departures fall short, compulsory redundancies could begin in early February.
Employees moving internally may receive a €5,000 ($5,810) gross bonus; those leaving will receive outplacement support and up to two years of redeployment leave depending on age, the news agency reported.
In a statement to the news agency, the company said: “This decision is driven by the need to reflect the reality of today's business environment and to address specific challenges at Nissan.”
Nissan employs around 570 people at Montigny, which oversees Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India and Oceania.
The company recently reported an 8% decline in European retail sales in the first half and trimmed its full-year regional outlook by 3% to 340,000 vehicles.
It will maintain the Montigny office and continue investing in employee development.
Earlier this month, Nissan reported a net loss of Y221.9bn ($1.4bn) for H1 FY25, versus a Y19.2bn profit a year earlier, citing weak core auto performance and new US tariffs on Japanese goods.
As part of a non-core asset disposal strategy, Nissan will sell its Yokohama headquarters and lease it back for 20 years, maintaining it as its head office.
