JLR prepares 4,000 job cuts; minister to meet

Jaguar Land Rover is preparing to announce a major redundancy programme that could see up to 4,000 jobs cut over the next two years, prompting the UK Business Secretary to arrange urgent meetings with the company's leadership and union representatives. The British carmaker, which employs about 30,000 people in the UK, is expected to formally announce the restructuring on Monday, September 7, 2026, following the opening of a voluntary redundancy scheme for salaried and management staff on Friday, September 4. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds confirmed he has spoken with JLR chief executive PB Balaji and will meet the firm's leadership team and Unite general secretary Sharon Graham early next week. Reynolds stated his immediate concern is the human impact on workers who could be directly affected. He emphasized the need to mitigate the impact and work with local communities, noting the substantial pressure on the automotive sector. The government has been engaged in intensive discussions over the weekend to explore ways to mitigate the job losses. The proposed cuts come as JLR continues to recover from a series of operational and financial setbacks.