Heineken to cut up to 6,000 jobs globally over two years amidst weakening beer demand

• Heineken will optimise its supply chain through brewery digitisation and selective brewery closures to fund and sustain its growth priorities.
  
• The timing of redundancies will vary by market depending on local conditions and processes.
  
• The company stressed that care, respect, and appropriate assistance will be provided to affected employees.

Dutch brewer Heineken plans to cut approximately 5,000 to 6,000 jobs – around 7% of its global workforce of 87,000 – over the next two years as it faces “challenging market conditions”.

The reductions, outlined in the group’s 2025 full year results, will occur primarily in Europe and coincide with select brewery closures and broader supply chain restructuring as the company responds to an evolving market landscape.

“Our first priority is to accelerate growth, funded by stepped up productivity and operating model changes that will involve a significant cost intervention over the next two years,” said Dolf van den Brink, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Heineken N.V., in the press release.

“This will unlock stronger people productivity and enable greater speed and efficiency.”

Heineken noted that timelines for workforce reductions will vary by market, subject to local circumstances and processes. The brewer added: “We will support impacted colleagues with care, respect, and appropriate assistance.”

As the world’s second-largest brewer by market value, Heineken has been grappling with softening beer demand and shifting consumer behaviours. Its annual results showed that total volume declined by 1.2%, drive by weaker performance in the Americas and Europe, while net revenue still rose 1.6%, supported by growth in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Vietnam, India, and HEINEKEN Beverages.

Looking ahead, the company remains prudent in near-term expectations for beer market conditions. It has lowered its 2026 profit growth forecast to between 2% and 6%, down from the previously projected range of 4% to 8% for last year.