German Job Market Stays Red Hot as Automaker Slashes 5,500 Managers and Reshapes Bonuses
Published on 07/05/2026 at 12:32 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
The German labour market shows no sign of cooling going into July 2026. US job portals alone list over 1,500 open positions for HR directors and senior managers, with top-end director salaries occasionally exceeding $185,000. At home, the Compass Group has 37 HR vacancies, including a Director of HR post in Baltimore; the hotel sector reports more than 60 openings, with North American HR manager pay running between $70,000 and $85,000. Cruise lines MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises and Costa Crociere are recruiting HR managers for crew relations and training. Safran needs an HR manager in Texas, Famedly a key account manager in Berlin. The Kammergericht Berlin is hiring a head of development and statistics (pay group 13 TV-L), and the Federal Institute for Real Estate wants a construction manager in Wilhelmshaven.
Amid this hiring frenzy, a major German carmaker is moving in the opposite direction. It plans to cut its management headcount from 21,500 to 16,000 – a reduction of roughly 5,500 positions. The hierarchy will shrink to just four levels. The supervisory board is expected to approve the overhaul on July 9, part of a sweeping cost-saving package that targets an operating margin of 9 to 11 percent by 2030. To sharpen individual accountability, the performance-linked share of managers' bonuses will jump from the current 13–17 percent to 35 percent, effective 2027.
Several companies are strengthening their executive suites. Payment service provider Unzer named Isabelle Bénard Chief Product & AI Officer; she joins from Amazon and will steer the strategic focus on artificial-intelligence applications. Health platform Stebby, which serves more than 180,000 users, appointed Laura Pukk as Chief People and Corporate Services Officer, putting her in charge of HR, legal, accounting and technical support. Football club HSV is discussing the creation of an additional board position for marketing, brand and fans, having already established a new directorate under Philipp Langer and Jessica Miller.
Electronics group AT&S is investing roughly €30 million in its Fehring site through 2027. The money will finance 50 new hires, bringing the workforce to 450, and a dedicated research team of 15 specialists. CEO Michael Mertin pointed to a remarkable share-price trajectory: the stock rose from €17 to €199 between July 2025 and July 2026. Key customers include Advantest and Semikron.
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