Eberspächer secures jobs in Esslingen until 2027 – other locations affected!

Eberspächer secures jobs in Esslingen until 2027 – other locations affected!

A huge storm is currently brewing in the automotive industry. A striking example of this is Eberspächer, a major supplier from Esslingen. How fr.de reports, the company has introduced a job guarantee for its headquarters in Esslingen until the end of 2027. This is a real ray of hope for the approximately 1,000 employees who benefit from this regulation. Terminations at headquarters are only possible with the mutual consent of employer and employee, which gives employees a certain degree of security.

But this positive news has a bitter aftertaste. There is no job guarantee at the company's other locations. Eberspächer currently operates around 80 locations worldwide and is struggling, as shown in another analysis by merkur.de can be read, with the challenges of the transformation to electromobility and stagnating sales. CEO Jörg Steins recently stated that after five months sales were at the same level as last year, which is a rather weak signal given the general market development.

Market development and job cuts

The mood throughout the industry is tense. Loud EY Sales in the German automotive industry fell by 5% to 536 billion euros in 2024. The development was even more dramatic among automotive suppliers, whose sales fell by 8%. This figure shows that suppliers were hit twice as hard as manufacturers.

The worrying developments are obvious: the decline in employment in the automotive industry amounted to an annual average of 0.9% in 2024. This represents a loss of almost 19,000 jobs. What's particularly alarming is that supplier employment has fallen to its lowest level in at least 18 years, with 43,000 job losses since 2019 alone. These negative numbers could indicate further job cuts and cost-cutting measures in the industry, warns Constantin M. Gall from EY.

Prospects and challenges

The view of the future is anything but rosy. Geopolitical uncertainties and possible trade conflicts increase the risk for the already struggling industry. Michael Peters, managing partner of Eberspächer, said that it was difficult to make statements about the development of jobs at other locations. After all, Eberspächer is planning to build a new factory for electric car heaters in order to adapt to changing market conditions.

In summary, it can be said that the automotive industry, and especially its suppliers, are facing enormous challenges. While security is being worked on at Eberspächer's headquarters, the situation at other locations and throughout the industry remains tense. The success in the transformation to electromobility could be crucial for the future of this important industry in Germany.