Car makers paint a bleak picture on jobs

Despite public denials, internal discussions regarding a possible return of Manuel Neuer to the Germany national team are said to have intensified.

Kicker Football magazine reported that the issue is being debated more deeply and controversially than coach Julian Nagelsmann indicated Bayern Munich is even aware of the talks.

Both Neuer and Nagelsmann have recently ruled out returning for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

“The World Cup will happen, but I’m not involved in it at all right now, and I’m not part of the whole thing, so I’m watching it calmly from the outside,” Neuer said during a recent SportsStudio TV show.

Neuer retired from international football after Euro 2024 but has impressed for Bayern Munich this season, sparking speculation of a return for one final tournament.

The return will likely come at the expense of keeper Oliver Baumann, who was in line to start, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen is struggling with a long-term injury.

Germany have been drawn in Group E along with Curaçao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.

The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) has warned that Germany’s auto industry is facing more job cuts than ever before.

VDA President Hildegard Müller told RND that 225,000 jobs could be lost by 2035, about 35,000 more than earlier forecasts.

The outlook largely depends on future drivetrain policies, with the VDA saying that greater technology openness could preserve 50,000 jobs in Germany.

Muller said the shift from combustion engines to electric vehicles is already hitting suppliers the hardest.

The VDA warned that without changes to EU rules, an additional 50,000 jobs could be at risk due to a planned limit on combustion engine vehicles.

Müller also pointed to broader economic pressures and a “severe and persistent space crisis” in Germany and Europe as contributing to the negative trend.

Conditions are continuously worsening, he said, pointing to high taxes and levies, expensive energy, high labor costs and excessive bureaucracy.

good day From the DW newsroom in Bonn.

Join us as Germany’s powerful auto industry lobby says the future does not look good for the sector in terms of jobs.

It warns that if Europe does not change its stance, another 125,000 jobs could be lost by 2035.

Stay tuned for these and other stories that have Germany talking.