Carlsberg cuts about 180 jobs in home market

Job cuts are never easy but someone has to swing the axe. Carlsberg on 20 May 2015 announced it had cut about 180 office jobs, seeking to save money and offset the challenge of a shrinking economy in Russia, where it’s the biggest brewer.

About 20 percent of the staff at Copenhagen headquarters and regional offices have lost their jobs, the company said.

Carlsberg, the world’s number four brewer, employed an average of 46,832 people last year, of which 31 percent were in western Europe, according to its annual report.

The sad announcement was made as Carlsberg’s CEO is making his way to the door. Chief Executive Officer Jørgen Buhl Rasmussen will hand the reins to Cees ’t Hart, the company’s first non-Danish CEO, in June. Observers hope that the incoming CEO will not have to break any more bad news any time soon.