E-mobility and digitalization will cause the workforce at Volkswagen to decline less than research studies covering the automotive industry had previously suggested. Above all, it is possible to manage the transformation of the workforce sustainably if the right measures are introduced at an early stage, as is the case at Volkswagen. A key role is played by the comprehensive qualifications of the workforce for the issues of the future. These are the key findings of a research project conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Organization and Industrial Engineering IAO in Stuttgart.
The scientists examined the effects of the transformation on employment at Volkswagen. The study was commissioned by Volkswagen Group’s independent Sustainability Council. Ex-DGB German Trade Union Confederation head Michael Sommer (advisory board member and patron of the study): “Our results show: The negative impact on employment will not be as dramatic as feared. We can control this.” Earlier studies predicted employment losses of between 35 and 62 percent across the German automotive industry by 2030 as a result of the switch to electromobility.