Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleTelefonica plans to lay off over 5,000 workers in Spain, impacting 20% of its workforce, amid cost-cutting and industry consolidation pressures.
MADRID (Reuters) -Telefonica has proposed laying off 5,040 people in Spain as part of cost-cutting efforts envisaged in its new strategy, trade unions UGT and CCOO said on Monday.
If carried out, the layoffs would affect 41% of employees in the Telefonica de Espana unit, 31% at Telefonica Moviles and 24% in Telefonica Soluciones, adding up to around 20% of Telefonica's staff in Spain of roughly 25,000.
UGT said Telefonica had also proposed a 32% reduction in staff at its subscription TV service Movistar+.
Telefonica declined to comment.
The company is set to meet again with unions on Tuesday to present its proposal for layoffs at another three domestic units.
UGT said it had demanded that any measures adopted be structured as a strictly voluntary process based on early retirement.
There is a wider trend of cutbacks among European telecoms facing years of stagnant business and pressure to slim down, as investors push for consolidation across the sector.
Telefonica also cut about 3,400 jobs last year, which it said would reduce its costs by 285 million euros ($329 million) per year from 2025.
Automation and the withdrawal of the old copper networks in favour of optical fibre allow telecom companies to operate with fewer staff.
($1 = 0.8665 euros)
(Reporting by Jesus Calero and David Latona; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
A layoff refers to the termination of employees from their jobs, typically due to economic conditions or company restructuring, rather than performance-related issues.
Cost-cutting involves reducing expenses to improve a company's financial performance, often through layoffs, reducing operational costs, or streamlining processes.
Automation in business refers to the use of technology to perform tasks with minimal human intervention, often leading to increased efficiency and reduced labor costs.
A voluntary layoff is when employees choose to leave their jobs, often in exchange for severance packages or other benefits, rather than being terminated involuntarily.
Employee reduction refers to the process of decreasing the number of employees in a company, often due to financial constraints or organizational restructuring.
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