Nissan Motor plans to eliminate over 10,000 additional jobs worldwide, bringing the total number of layoffs to approximately 20,000—roughly 15% of its global workforce—according to a report from Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
As Japan’s third-largest car manufacturer, Nissan is aiming to streamline its operations and strengthen its financial position following poor sales performance in both China and the United States, its biggest market.
The company is expected to release its financial results for the fiscal year ending in March on Tuesday. It previously warned that it would likely post a record net loss of between 700 billion and 750 billion yen (around $4.74 billion to $5.08 billion), mainly due to impairment charges.
Nissan has struggled to adapt to the rising demand for hybrid vehicles in the U.S. and has lost momentum in the electric vehicle segment, despite having an early lead. In China—the world’s largest auto market—the company plans to roll out around 10 new models over the next few years in an effort to revive sales.
Newly appointed CEO Ivan Espinosa, who succeeded Makoto Uchida last month, is leading a restructuring of the company and has indicated that further changes may be on the way.
As of March last year, Nissan employed over 133,000 people. Back in November, it announced plans to reduce its workforce by 9,000 and cut global production capacity by 20%. It also revealed plans to shut down a factory in Thailand by June and close two more yet-to-be-named facilities.
Additionally, Nissan recently scrapped plans to build a $1.1 billion EV battery plant on Kyushu island in Japan, a project that was expected to receive government subsidies. The company’s weak financial performance has led it to lower its profit forecast four times for the just-completed fiscal year.
