Michael Nienaber: Germany’s auto heartlands in peril as car firms go electric

Nation’s automobile industry plans to cut up to 83,000 jobs over the next decade as workers trying to avoid forced layoffs, writes Michael Nienaber

WHEN Kristin and Thomas Schmitt took out a mortgage and bought a house last summer, the German couple’s dream looked as if it was coming true. Two months later, they learned that the tyre factory where both work would be shut early next year.

A malaise in Germany’s mighty automobile industry, caused by weaker demand from abroad, stricter emission rules, and electrification, is starting to leave a wider mark on Europe’s largest economy by pushing up unemployment, eroding job security and hitting pay.