Continental has announced significant layoffs in Romania as part of a broader restructuring plan tied to the spin-off of two major business units, ContiTech and the Automotive division. The company is undergoing a transformative shift in response to accelerating changes in the global automotive industry.
ContiTech: 230 Jobs Cut in Timișoara
The ContiTech division, which focuses on industrial and automotive technology solutions, is set to become an independent company by the end of 2025. Continental confirmed that approximately 230 positions will be eliminated at the Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) plant in Timișoara as part of its strategic reorganization.
The company cited a rapidly evolving market landscape as the key driver behind these decisions. “Continental is strengthening its competitiveness in the Original Equipment Solutions (OESL) business area of the ContiTech sector in Romania, in a challenging market environment for the automotive industry, which is undergoing the greatest transformation in its history,” the company said in a statement.
The layoffs are described as part of an “optimization process” aimed at adjusting to shifting client demands and improving efficiency at the local level.
Automotive Division: 640 More Jobs to Be Cut
The impact is even greater within Continental’s Automotive division, which will be spun off under a new name, Aumovio Romania, later this year. The company confirmed that around 640 jobs will be lost, primarily from production and research & development roles at its Timișoara site.
The company emphasized that these changes are not isolated to Romania but are part of a global repositioning strategy to streamline operations and enhance agility in an industry experiencing unprecedented disruption from electrification and automation to AI-driven manufacturing.
“The measures aim to adapt capacities to changing customer requirements and to increase efficiency at the affected sites,” the statement reads.
A Human Impact
Although global trends and operational necessities drive the job cuts, Continental has stated its commitment to support affected employees. The company says it will collaborate actively with social partners to identify individual solutions and help those impacted transition to new roles, both internally and on the open market.
Industry Context
These layoffs come at a time when the automotive sector is under extraordinary pressure, balancing between legacy production systems and the rapid adoption of electric and software-defined vehicles. Global players like Continental are being forced to rethink traditional business models, spin off units, and double down on efficiency as supply chains evolve and consumer expectations shift.
