The Veldhoven-based chip manufacturer ASML has been on a steady path to success, with a record year in 2025. Great! Then, why are they laying off hundreds of employees?
Unfortunately, these job cuts will largely affect the Netherlands, where the company currently employs over 24,000 people, according to its website.
According to NOS, management has said that their engineers want to “spend their time on technology, unhindered by slow processes” and “return to the dynamic culture that has made [them] so successful.”
Successful is right — the company recorded a net after-tax gain of €9.6 billion last year and expects even better results in 2026.
So what does “dynamic work culture” mean? And how does it justify lay-offs alongside this much growth?
Mindful re-organisation, or hasty cuts?
ASML received a record number of orders in 2025, totalling about €28 billion.
How is this possible? Well, the company’s chip-production machines are in high demand as the EU continues to foster AI development, as seen in the 2025 launch of the AI Continent Action Plan.
READ MORE | Heads up, investors: ASML is now the Netherlands’ most popular stock
Unsurprisingly, ASML has been hailed as a boon and major job creator in the Netherlands. Back in 2024, they received high praise from then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who said, “it’s impossible to overstate ASML’s success.”
So with all this good news, why the cuts?
To hear ASML tell it, the goal of the reorganisation is to sharpen the company’s focus through more efficient innovation. According to NOS, the layoffs will therefore hit the management tier hardest.
CEO Christophe Fouquet has indicated that bureaucracy and “red tape” within the company are slowing things down, as reported by NRC.
In the end, ASML is expanding — they expect to double their growth in due time. According to Fouquet, the upcoming job cuts are necessary to support that progress.
The response
Surprise, surprise, plenty of people are deeply unhappy with the cuts.
The CNV (Christian National Trade Union Federation) of the Netherlands says it “cannot reconcile” the layoffs with the company’s projected growth, according to NOS.
According to the local newspaper Eindhovens Dagblad, several other unions, including the FNV, De Unie, and VHP2, have also spoken out.
Some, like CNV representative Arjan Huizinga, are calling directly for ASML to retrain and place those fired from engineering roles in new positions.
Discussions between unions and ASML are still underway.
It seems that in Dutch business, progress comes with a (healthy?) dose of pragmatism — and a few hundred empty desks.
What do you think of the latest cuts? Let us know in the comments.
Zo gaat het met alle bedrijven in Nederland die ooit klein waren en waar niemand naar omkeek, en nu ze groot zijn geworden en niet meer afhankelijk zijn van de mensen die hen daarbij geholpen hebben, worden ze als verwende kinderen aan de kant gezet! Ik werk zelf bij een bedrijf in Tilburg en ik kan je met de hand op mijn hart zeggen dat dit overal gebeurt, niet alleen bij hele grote bedrijven! 😉