BMW aims to create 6,000 new jobs next year. That says CEO Oliver Zipse in an interview with the German newspaper Munich Merkur. According to Zipse, those jobs are needed to meet the increasing demand for EVs.
It took a while, but BMW is currently working hard on the rollout of new electric i-models. With the i4 and the iX, the brand has already added two EVs to its range this year, next year the electric i7 will be added and a new i3 based on the 3-series also seems to be in the pipeline. So there’s work to be done, which means BMW needs people. Zipse states that the workforce needs to be expanded by up to 5 percent to handle the growth. BMW currently employs approximately 120,000 people, which means that approximately 6,000 new people have to be recruited.
The new jobs will mainly be created in Germany. In particular, BMW is looking for experts in battery research, automated driving, software development and IT security. BMW also wants to add IT to its workforce to build databases and cloud systems, and app developers must boost in-car infotainment and entertainment. People are also needed on the factory floor for electrical maintenance and factory management.
Job loss
While BMW is just throwing open the vacancy bin, the trend in the transition to EVs seems to be that jobs are being lost. BMW has also said goodbye to some 6,000 employees since 2020, but is now looking for new people in other areas. However, suppliers to the automotive industry fear that half a million jobs will be lost with the switch to EVs and Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess fears 30,000 jobs in the future. In France too, thousands of jobs are probably at risk due to the transition to electric driving.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl