Heineken to Cut 5,000 to 6,000 Jobs
Heineken, the Dutch brewing giant, has announced plans to reduce its workforce by 5,000 to 6,000 jobs. This decision comes amid challenging market conditions that the company has deemed difficult. In a recent statement, Heineken’s CEO, Dolf van den Brink, emphasized the need to accelerate large-scale productivity to achieve significant savings.
Job Cuts Amidst Challenging Market Conditions
Van den Brink noted that the layoffs would take place over the next two years. He stated, “We remain cautious in our short-term forecasts regarding the beer market.” These measures follow a trend of workforce reductions, as Heineken had already announced 400 job cuts at its Amsterdam headquarters aimed at leveraging new technologies.
Current Workforce and Financial Performance
- Heineken employs approximately 87,000 people worldwide.
- The company reported a drop in global beer volumes of 2.4% in 2025.
- Revenue decreased to €34.4 billion in 2025 from €36 billion in the previous year.
- However, net profit before exceptional items rose by 4.9% to €2.7 billion.
- Operating profit, a key metric for the company, increased by 4.4% year-on-year, reaching €4.4 billion.
Heineken’s challenges are particularly evident in Europe and the United States. CFO Harold van den Broek indicated that most job cuts are likely to affect the European segment. He remarked, “Europe represents a significant part of our business, and financial results show that achieving good operational leverage is very challenging.”
Future Outlook
Looking ahead to 2026, Heineken projects an annual operating profit growth between 2% and 6%. This forecast indicates an ongoing commitment to navigate through difficult market conditions while aiming for recovery and efficiency in operations.
