BT to cut up to 40% of workforce by end of decade

BT is to cut up to 40 per cent of its workforce by the end of the decade, as it seeks to slash costs and become a “leaner business”.

The group said on Thursday that it would cut between 40,000 and 55,000 jobs, including employees and third-party contractors, by 2030. The group’s current workforce totals 130,000 when including third-party contractors.

“By continuing to build and connect like fury, digitise the way we work and simplify our structure, by the end of the 2020s BT Group will rely on a much smaller workforce and a significantly reduced cost base,” said chief executive Philip Jansen.

BT said it had made £2.1bn in cost savings since April 2020 towards its target of £3bn. Earlier this week, Vodafone said it planned to cut 11,000 jobs.