Global freight forwarding giant Kuehne + Nagel announced on March 3 local time that it will cut over 2,000 positions. This move is part of its cost-saving initiative launched in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Previously, the company had projected layoffs of 1,000 to 1,500 employees. However, deteriorating market conditions led to a 17% year-on-year decline in recurring operating profit for 2025, falling to CHF 1.38 billion (approximately RMB 12.2 billion), prompting the expansion of the downsizing scale.

DHL Express stated that this cost-cutting initiative aims to achieve annual savings of at least CHF 200 million (approximately RMB 1.7 billion), with full benefits expected to materialize by 2026.

By the end of 2025, DHL's global workforce stood at approximately 85,000 employees, an increase of around 5,000 from the previous year. However, this growth trajectory may reverse due to the current restructuring.

“We will always adjust our operational staffing levels in response to market and sales fluctuations. Should sales decline for any reason, we will continue to adapt our staffing accordingly,” emphasized Marcus Branca-Graff, the company's Chief Financial Officer.

He specifically emphasized that “the claim that 2,000 layoffs represent an absolute upper limit is incorrect,” adding that the actual number of job cuts will be dynamically adjusted based on market developments.

Regarding its 2026 performance outlook, DHL forecasts that recurring earnings before interest and taxes may remain flat or decline further to a range of CHF 1.2 billion to CHF 1.4 billion.