Despite austerity measures

VW employees receive one last bonus

Volkswagen is discontinuing the profit-sharing scheme for employees (symbolic image).(Bild: EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE)

Despite the austerity measures at Volkswagen, employees will still receive an unreduced bonus this year. In previous years, several thousand euros per person were always paid out. How high the payment will be this year is still open.

This depends on the previous year's profit, which the Group intends to announce on Tuesday, as well as the profit for 2023. Europe's largest car manufacturer recently expected to receive 18 billion euros for 2024. The results of the VW Passenger Cars and Commercial Vehicles brands are decisive for the bonus for employees.

Last year, the bonus amounted to 4735 euros per employee. The bonus used to be significantly higher in some cases. In 2012 and 2013, more than 7000 euros were paid out per employee.

From 2026, employees will have to adjust to significantly less money: Shortly before Christmas, the IG Metall trade union and Volkswagen agreed to temporarily put the profit-sharing scheme on ice. Instead, there will be a fixed advance payment of just under 2,000 euros in 2026 and 2027. After that, the bonus is to be gradually increased back to the old level by 2031. 

Volkswagen has around 120,000 employees in Germany.