Over €3 million of EU support for 915 dismissed workers in Germany after partial factory closure

Workers dismissed following the closure of Goodyear's production site in Fulda and partial shutdown in Hanau, Germany, are set to benefit from EU support. The European Commission will release over €3 million to help 915 workers find another employment, with funds from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF).

The EGF will finance measures such as:

• career guidance
• reskilling
• upskilling
• business start-up support
• job search assistance
• job-scouting
• participation in events like job fairs and company visits

In 2024, the tyre manufacturer Goodyear restructured due to significant decline in demand, rising costs, and growing competition from low-cost Asian imports. The closure of its Fulda plant and partial shutdown in Hanau led to 1,171 job losses, with local unemployment rising by over 10% in Fulda and 6% in Hanau and its surrounding area. Germany applied for EGF support in March 2025.

The measures funded by the EGF will help support workers that often experience skills mismatches in the job market demand following layoffs. The total estimated cost of these measures is €5.1 million, with 60% (€3 million) covered by the EGF and the remaining 40% (€2.1 million) financed by Germany's Federal budget and the Public Employment Service. The German authorities began supporting workers in November 2024, shortly after the layoffs occurred. The EGF can retroactively cover these costs.

Next steps

The EGF proposal now requires approval by the European Parliament and the Council. It must receive a simple majority in the European Parliament and a qualified majority in the Council. 

Background

Since 2007, the EGF has intervened in 183 cases, allocating €709 million to provide help to more than 172,000 people in 20 Member States.

Recent data from Eurofound show that large-scale restructuring events typically last over a year, with the most extensive cases taking nearly three years. EGF-supported measures complement national active labour market measures.

• General publications
• 29 July 2025

Commission proposal for EGF support to Goodyear workers in Germany

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