Germany’s economy is showing signs of recovery after recording growth for three consecutive quarters, yet one in four companies is struggling to find qualified workers. The Munich-based ifo Institute has published the results of its latest business survey. The share of companies reporting a shortage of skilled workers rose from 21.1% to 23.2% in April. 📌 Which sectors are facing growing shortages of skilled workers? 🎈 In the telecommunications sector, the share of companies

The European Commission has approved the sale of Volkswagen’s majority stake in engine manufacturer Everllence to US investment firm Bain Capital for €7.4 billion. The Augsburg-based company, which rebranded as Everllence a year ago, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of large engines, turbomachinery and decarbonization solutions. According to its own figures, the company employs approximately 16,000 people and generates around €4.9 billion in annual revenue. Source:

German automotive giant BMW, which employs 154,000 people, will offer a “voluntary separation package” to 40,000 employees — nearly half of its 85,000 office-based staff in Germany — by the end of October. BMW plans to reduce its workforce by 8,000 employees by the end of 2027. Workers on production lines will not be affected by the cuts. Source: DW

Varta, the 139-year-old German company that produces batteries for products ranging from wireless earbuds to home energy storage systems, has filed for bankruptcy amid financial difficulties. The bankruptcy process reportedly accelerated after the company lost one of its largest customers, Apple, which plans to source rechargeable CoinPower button-cell batteries used in AirPods from suppliers in China instead of Varta. The company's shareholders also declined to provide addit

The global telecommunications giant Vodafone has been sold. French billionaire Xavier Niel has become the company’s largest shareholder after purchasing the 16 percent stake held by the United Arab Emirates-based e& Group for £4.4 billion. Niel, whose net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion, already has significant telecommunications investments outside Vodafone, including operations in France, Italy, Poland, and Ireland. Source: The Times

At the age of 86, Dieter Schwarz, who became Germany’s richest person by building a fortune through supermarkets, established a retail empire with Lidl and Kaufland. Today, more than 600,000 people worldwide work across companies operating under the Schwarz Group umbrella. The group initially grew primarily through its Lidl and Kaufland supermarket chains. However, because Schwarz Group prefers to keep operations within its own structure, it has expanded into numerous sectors

Volkswagen Group, one of the world’s largest automotive manufacturers, has decided to tackle its severe crisis by reducing the number of models offered by its key brands by up to half, rather than closing factories and laying off tens of thousands of employees. Volkswagen, which had been targeting the dismissal of 100,000 workers and the closure of four factories, was forced to abandon these drastic measures involving large-scale layoffs and plant shutdowns after opposition f

Medicana has acquired the historic Jewish Hospital Berlin (Jüdisches Krankenhaus Berlin), one of the city’s long-established healthcare institutions, which had entered insolvency proceedings due to financial difficulties. The sales agreement for the hospital was signed between the parties on Thursday. The completion of the transfer is now awaiting approval from the Berlin Senate’s Health Administration. The new management announced that employees’ jobs would be protected and

Volkswagen is reportedly preparing for what could become the largest workforce reduction in the company's history. The automaker currently employs approximately 657,000 people worldwide. According to reports, the company's management board is aiming to cut 100,000 jobs globally. The reported figure is twice as high as previously estimated, marking a significant increase over earlier expectations. Source: Dünya Gazetesi

Although employees report that their job satisfaction has increased due to artificial intelligence, they also note a rise in their cognitive load. "The first wave of AI focused on individual productivity," said Vinciane Beauchene, managing director and partner at BCG and co-author of the report. "The next wave will need to transform collective work. Everyone is talking about AI replacing jobs, but in reality, it is truly about rethinking the human value-add within them." Sour

Jack Clark, co-founder of Anthropic, has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) is approaching a point where it can advance without human input, and has called for a slowdown in its development. Speaking to BBC’s Newsnight program, Clark stated, "You want to have the option to take your foot off the gas and press the brake." "Right now, the AI industry has an accelerator pedal, but it does not have a brake pedal." Clark emphasized that humans must retain control over AI sys

Millions of Europeans still apply for jobs without knowing the salary. Across much of Europe, employees continue to have limited information regarding how much specific jobs pay and how their salaries compare to others performing similar work. The EU's Pay Transparency Directive aims to change this situation by requiring employers to be more transparent about salaries and helping to reinforce the principle of equal pay for equal work. While EU member states are required to im

While the global employee engagement rate stands at around 20 percent, the European continent has recorded the weakest employee engagement for the sixth consecutive year. Employees report feeling less motivated, less connected, and less committed to their work. The lowest employee engagement rates were observed in Croatia (7 percent), Poland (7 percent), France (8 percent), Switzerland (8 percent), Luxembourg (9 percent), Ireland (9 percent), and Austria (9 percent), followed

Google is reportedly planning a major investment in AI startup Anthropic that could reach a total of $40 billion, including $10 billion in cash, depending on the achievement of performance targets. Source: Dünya Gazetesi

World Bank President Ajay Banga has warned that enough jobs may not be created for the 1.2 billion people expected to enter working age in developing countries over the next 10 to 15 years. According to Banga, if current trends continue, only 400 million new jobs will be created. Banga said that while global financial markets are currently focused on the short-term economic effects of war, a deeper and more lasting risk is approaching for developing countries: a widening empl

According to Indeed, human resources skills are among the most sought-after capabilities in today’s job market. A new report by Indeed Hiring Lab found that HR skills ranked as the third most in-demand skill set, appearing in 27.3% of all job postings in the United States by the end of 2025. The report noted that HR skills such as employee engagement and people management are valuable far beyond traditional HR departments, adding that the HR skill set is “required across a wi

Attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran triggered sharp volatility across global markets. While sell-offs accelerated on U.S. stock exchanges, investors turned to safe-haven assets such as gold, U.S. Treasuries, and the Swiss franc . Gold prices surged past $5,390 per ounce, approaching record levels, while Brent crude climbed to its highest level in four years. In contrast, declines were notable across equities and crypto assets. Source: Dünya Gazetesi

Jack Dorsey , the founder of Twitter , has announced the dismissal of 40% of the company’s workforce as the use of artificial intelligence expands. Dorsey argued that the layoffs were not the result of a crisis, but rather a reflection of the company’s financial strength. Claiming that many firms are lagging behind in this transformation, he said, “I believe most companies will make similar structural changes within the next year.” Dorsey added that he preferred to take a sin

Meta Platforms is preparing for a restructuring within Reality Labs , the division responsible for its virtual reality and metaverse initiatives. As part of this move, the company is reportedly planning to part ways with around 10% of the unit’s employees . The decision is said to be aimed at reducing resources allocated to certain virtual reality projects while shifting greater investment toward AI-powered wearable technologies . Source: Dünya Gazetesi

Elon Musk is once again at the center of the global agenda with his vision for artificial intelligence and robotics. His latest remarks about Tesla’s humanoid robot Optimus have sparked widespread discussion across both the technology sector and the healthcare ecosystem. Speaking on a podcast, Musk stated that the day when Optimus will perform better than the world’s top surgeons is only three years away . Source: Independent