Nestle will slash 16,000 jobs across the globe as part of a sweeping cost-cutting and restructuring plan, its new chief executive Philipp Navratil announced on Thursday.
“The world is changing, and Nestle needs to change faster,” Navratil said in a statement, emphasizing that the company must make “hard but necessary decisions to reduce headcount.”
The move comes as the Swiss food giant — behind household brands such as Nespresso, Kit Kat, Perrier, and Purina — reported a 1.9 percent drop in sales to 65.9 billion Swiss francs (around $83 billion) for the first nine months of 2025.
Of the total layoffs, 12,000 are expected to come from white-collar positions, saving the company roughly 1 billion francs, double its earlier target. An additional 4,000 job cuts are already in progress in production and supply chain divisions. Nestle also raised its overall savings goal to 3 billion francs by 2027, up from its previous 2.5 billion target.
The restructuring announcement follows months of turbulence for the multinational, including the removal of its former CEO over an office relationship and the early exit of its chairman. The company has also been facing scrutiny over a bottled water controversy in France that began in 2024.
Despite the challenges, Nestle recorded an organic sales growth of 3.3 percent during the period, largely attributed to price increases of 2.8 percent.
