Nissan’s newly installed CEO, Ivan Espinosa, is enacting a sweeping restructuring plan that will eliminate 15% of the company’s global workforce—tens of thousands of workers whose livelihoods are being sacrificed to appease shareholders and “streamline operations.”

This is not about inefficiency or mismanagement. It’s the direct result of an aggressive expansion strategy that chased growth for growth’s sake—especially in markets like China and the United States—without regard for sustainability or long-term viability.

The restructuring will also shutter 7 manufacturing sites, reducing capacity by nearly 30%, and all in the name of saving 500 billion yen ($3.4 billion). This isn’t about innovation or reinvestment. It’s about cutting costs—primarily labour costs—to inflate short-term profits.

Plants in Mexico and Japan are being closed, and thousands more will face job insecurity across regions like Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

In Europe alone, where nearly 60% of Nissan’s regional workforce is based, car registrations dropped by over 5% in the first half of the year. I

nstead of asking whether declining demand might call for a rethinking of the broader economic model, the response is the same: fire workers, cut production, and hope new products—like a revamped Micra or electric Leaf—will distract from the underlying systemic issues.