Thousands of jobs at risk as bet365 and Jaguar Land Rover announce major cuts

Two of the biggest employers in and around Staffordshire have announced major job cuts within days of each other, with around 300 roles set to go at bet365 in Stoke-on-Trent and Jaguar Land Rover announcing plans to reduce its global workforce by around 4,000.

The announcements will cause concern across Staffordshire, with both businesses employing significant numbers of people from communities across the county.

Stoke-on-Trent-based betting giant bet365 is set to cut around 340 jobs from its global workforce, with approximately 300 of those expected to be lost in Stoke-on-Trent.

The company, one of the city's biggest employers, is reported to employ around 5,500 people in Stoke.

The remaining job losses are expected to affect the company's operations in Malta and Gibraltar.

A bet365 spokesperson said the company was operating in a "highly competitive trading environment" while also facing increased regulatory and tax-related costs.

The company said:

"As an international business, we continually review and assess our operations to ensure the business' long-term future. We're currently facing a highly competitive trading environment, plus increased regulatory and tax-related costs."

The announcement follows a significant increase in taxation on the gambling industry, with Remote Gaming Duty increasing from 21% to 40% in April.

JLR announces 4,000 job cuts

Just days earlier, Jaguar Land Rover announced plans to reduce its global workforce by around 4,000 roles over the next two years as the company attempts to make £1.7 billion in savings.

The automotive giant employs around 43,000 people globally, approximately 34,000 of whom are based in the UK.

For Staffordshire, particular attention will be on JLR's Engine Manufacturing Centre at the i54 business park near Wolverhampton, which sits immediately alongside the South Staffordshire border and provides employment for people from across Staffordshire and the wider West Midlands.

JLR has not announced how many, if any, of the redundancies will fall specifically at the i54 site.

The company has said the reductions will primarily be made through voluntary redundancy and will affect salaried and management roles rather than production workers.

JLR CEO PB Balaji said:

"The automotive industry faces significant challenges, with technological change amidst intense competition and ongoing geo-political uncertainty."

He added that the company needed to strengthen its competitiveness and position itself for long-term success.

"As part of this transformation, we will reduce our global workforce by around 4,000 roles over the next two years. We recognise this will be difficult news for colleagues affected, and are committed to supporting everyone with care, fairness and respect."

The company is seeking to reduce its break-even point to 300,000 vehicles a year and says the restructuring forms part of a wider plan to make approximately £1.7 billion of savings.

JLR has faced a difficult period, including international tariffs, increased competition from overseas manufacturers and the aftermath of the major cyber attack which disrupted production last year.

Despite the cuts, the company says it intends to invest between £15 billion and £18 billion over the next five years in areas including electrification, digital technology and improvements to its manufacturing operations.

Concern for Staffordshire economy

Although the two announcements involve very different industries, together they represent a significant week for employment in Staffordshire and the surrounding area.

In the north of the county, bet365 has grown to become one of Stoke-on-Trent's most significant private-sector employers.

In the south, JLR and the wider automotive supply chain provide employment to thousands of people across Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire, Cannock Chase and surrounding communities.

While there is currently no indication of how many positions at JLR's i54 operation could be affected, the scale of the company's UK presence means the announcement will be closely watched locally.

The two companies have announced potentially around 4,340 job losses worldwide between them, with around 300 bet365 positions already expected to disappear from Stoke-on-Trent.

For Staffordshire workers and their families, attention will now turn to exactly where JLR's reductions will fall — and what the two announcements could mean for employment and investment across the region.