Germany's Merck Group to cut up to 230 jobs in electronics division
German science and technology company Merck is once again cutting jobs in the face of weakening business.
Merck, which is based in the western German city of Darmstadt, will cut up to 230 jobs in its electronics division.
Up to 100 of those job cuts will come at Merck headquarters, while the rest are to be eliminated outside of Germany by the end of 2025.
The company has already reached an agreement with labour representatives on the works council, a spokeswoman told dpa on Friday.
She said that Merck is seeking to make the job cuts as amicable and socially responsible as possible, and is looking to shift affected workers to other positions elsewhere in the company.
Merck had already announced plans in November to cut costs in the electronics division by up to €90 million ($97 million). The division manufactures semiconductor materials for electronic devices and liquid crystals for smartphones and television screens, among other products.
Merck also produces pigments for the automotive and cosmetics industries.
However, demand in the electronics industry is sluggish and Merck said that the downturn is lasting longer than expected.
A boom in sales around the coronavirus pandemic in Merck's laboratory division is now over, while the company's pharmaceuticals division has suffered setbacks in product development.
