Kassel under pressure: Hübner strokes over 100 jobs!

Kassel under pressure: Hübner strokes over 100 jobs!

The railway technology company Hübner has announced that it will reduce more than 100 jobs at the Kassel location. This corresponds to about 10% of 1100 employees in Northern Hesse. The job cuts are reduced as part of a plan for reducing costs, which provides for a savings goal of 25 million euros. Hübner emphasizes that the dismantling should be designed socially and no operational terminations are issued.

In 2023, the Hübner Group generated sales of 472 million euros. However, the originally planned goal of over 500 million euros was not achieved. A similar amount of sales as in 2023 is expected for 2024, with precise numbers still standing. Hübner has built structures and costs in recent years that are no longer portable, which means that the current decision. In the current economic situation, the company is faced with rising costs, especially for energy and increasing global competition, especially from Asia.

economic framework in Hesse

The situation at Hübner reflects a wider trend in the Hessian industry. An increasing number of companies reports job cuts and location closings. For example, SMA Solar in Niestetal plans to break down 700 positions due to a decline in demand. Putzmeister will also close the location in Gründau by the end of 2025, which affects 250 employees because the production is shifted to Turkey. There is also an uncertain outlook for the 15,000 employees in the VW plant in Baunatal, where savings measures are planned, but a closure of the work is unlikely.

The Hessian economy, despite a price -adjusted growth of gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.2% in 2023, also faces challenges. Dirk Pollert, General Manager of the Association of Hessian Entrepreneurial Associations, describes the situation as a structural crisis that can be observed across Germany. The main reasons are high bureaucracy, slow authorities as well as high energy prices and tax loads. The automotive industry is particularly stressed, which leads to pressure on the suppliers.

effects on the world of work

The unemployment rate in Hessen was 5.5 percent in October and is slightly declining, but the early indicators for the economy show negative tendencies. A decline in temporary work by more than 8 percent compared to the previous year suggests further difficulties. Prominent companies such as Continental have closed locations in Schwalbach and Wetzlar, in which a total of 1,200 jobs are affected. Goodyear also reacts and closes his work in Fulda, which will cost more than 1,000 employees their jobs.

In order to meet the challenges in Hessian industry, Pollert hopes for political reforms that can improve the economic situation and create new jobs. The Hübner Group, on the other hand, has signaled that it wants to preserve and develop the Kassel location as an headquarters and innovation center, with a clear focus on the development of new markets and technologies as well as the expansion of the service business.