Outplacement in the chemical industry

Germany's chemical industry is one of the key sectors of the economy. Its products form the basis of numerous other industries — from automotive and mechanical engineering to construction, electronics, pharma and consumer goods. With around 476,300 employees and industry revenue of about 220 billion euros, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry remains a major industrial employer.

At the same time, the sector is under considerable pressure to change. In the first half of 2026, production was around 3% below the prior-year level, revenue fell to 106 billion euros, and investment declined for the third year in a row. Employment in the chemical industry stood at around 312,000 at the end of June 2026 — 3.6% below the previous year.

The chemical industry is not disappearing — but the demands on companies and employees are changing fundamentally.

Why is the chemical industry undergoing structural change?

Several developments coincide. Chemical production is often energy-intensive — in 2024, almost 8% of Germany's total energy consumption went to the chemical industry, while electricity and gas costs remain internationally high. This changes investment decisions: companies increasingly examine which products and production steps remain competitive in Germany over the long term. At the same time, production, research and investment are being distributed more internationally.

In parallel, the industry must transform its production processes — through electrification, renewable energy, alternative raw materials, the circular economy, CO₂ reduction, new production methods, digitalisation and automation. The contradiction is obvious: the transformation requires high investment, while cost pressure simultaneously constrains the ability to invest.

Job cuts in chemicals: who is affected by the change?

What matters is not only whether jobs are cut, but which functions change. Job cuts can have many causes: site closures or production relocations, consolidation of business units, efficiency and cost programmes, automation, digitalisation, merging of functions, relocation of research, portfolio realignment or outsourcing.

The pressure also affects qualified specialists and executives. A long career at a large chemical group conveys extensive experience — but that experience is not automatically visible to the next employer. The most important question after job cuts is therefore not “What have I lost?” but:

“Which skills and experiences do I bring that create economic value in a different context?”

Someone who says “I've been a production manager in chemicals for 15 years” opens a smaller market than someone who says: “I lead complex production organisations, improve productivity and quality, steer investment projects and deliver international transformation programmes.”

Your market value is greater than your job title

Many chemical-industry professionals have competencies that are valuable across industries:

• A production manager combines operations, process optimisation, investment management, occupational safety, quality, automation and leadership.
• A supply-chain manager brings global sourcing, supplier management, inventory optimisation, working capital, crisis management and international steering.
• An R&D head has innovation management, technology assessment, project-portfolio steering, international teams and product development.

These competencies are not confined to chemicals.

Which industries can be interesting for chemical professionals?

When reorienting, it is worth looking beyond your previous industry:

Experience from chemicals	Conceivable target industries
Production / operations	mechanical engineering, pharma, medtech, energy
Process engineering	plant engineering, energy, environmental technology
Quality management	pharma, medtech, food, automotive
Supply chain	industry, logistics, automotive, retail
Procurement	industry, energy, plant engineering
R&D / innovation	pharma, materials, medtech, technology
Project management	industry, engineering, energy
Sustainability / ESG	energy, industry, consulting
Finance / controlling	cross-industry
HR / change	cross-industry

It is not about compulsively changing industry — but about not keeping your target market unnecessarily small.

Which competencies are gaining importance?

• Digitalisation and AI — data-based production, automation and AI change processes, quality assurance, planning and administration.
• Automation and process optimisation — productivity and efficiency matter even more under high cost pressure.
• Sustainability and decarbonisation — new energy sources, alternative raw materials and circular business models create new fields.
• Transformation and restructuring — people who not only manage change but deliver it.
• International steering — cross-border leadership as value creation and investment become more international.

What does structural change mean for executives?

Companies do not simply look for ten or fifteen years of industry experience in an executive, but for someone who can solve a relevant business problem. A former Head of Production should therefore not market only “production”, but transformation, productivity improvement, site optimisation, investment management, turnaround, change management and the leadership of complex organisations. This turns a supposedly narrow industry profile into a transferable leadership profile.

For managing directors, board members and division heads, reorientation works even more through personal executive positioning: which transformations have I delivered? Which result improvements have I achieved? Which restructurings have I owned? A top manager from chemicals need not see themselves as a “chemicals manager” — their positioning can focus more on transformation, performance, international leadership or restructuring.

Don't write applications immediately after job cuts

Experienced specialists and executives often start searching too quickly after a separation. The first step should be a structured assessment:

1. What can I do? Capture not only expertise, but also leadership, project and transformation competencies.
2. What of it is in demand? Match your experience against the needs of potential target companies.
3. Which positioning is credible? Not every theoretically possible option is a sensible one.
4. Which target industries and companies qualify? Cast the search deliberately wider than your previous job title.
5. How do I reach these companies? For executives, networking, referrals, executive search and direct approaches are often more important than job ads — the core of our KARENT PLACEMENT approach.

What professional outplacement consulting can achieve

Career reorientation is more than revising a CV — it is about making your market value visible in a changed labour market. Outplacement supports assessment, repositioning, target-market analysis, executive positioning, application and network strategy, and interview preparation — including how to explain job cuts confidently and positively.

Careers in transition: chemical experience as a competitive advantage

There is currently considerable pressure to adapt — employment is falling, investment is declining, and cost and location structures are under review. At the same time, the chemical industry's business climate improved surprisingly sharply in August 2026; the ifo Institute reported a positive assessment of the current situation for the first time in four years, even though expectations remain negative. Transformation and job cuts therefore do not mean the industry has no prospects.

Those who master complex production processes, have led international teams, delivered transformations, optimised costs or driven innovation bring skills that are in demand beyond their previous company — and partly beyond chemicals.

The most important step after job cuts is not to find just any new position as quickly as possible — but to redefine your positioning for the next labour market.

This is exactly where professional outplacement consulting can make the decisive difference.