BT workforce shrinks by 7,731 as cost cuts gather pace
BT has reduced its workforce by 7,731 since the end of March, bringing the group’s headcount to 90,000 as it presses ahead with a multiyear
BT has reduced its workforce by 7,731 since the end of March, bringing the group’s headcount to 90,000 as it presses ahead with a multiyear drive to lower costs. The cuts are concentrated at Openreach, where the pace of fibre-network construction is slowing.
The figure excludes employees in BT’s international business, which is being spun out through a joint venture with US telecoms company Verizon. Including contractors, BT had about 130,000 workers two years ago.
Cost reductions and profit growth
BT has set out to remove billions of pounds in costs by 2030. The workforce reductions form part of that effort, alongside changes linked to the slower expansion of its fibre network.
The job losses have come as the group reported higher profits. BT’s pre-tax profit rose 12% year on year to £1.1 billion in the six months to the end of September.
That is a sharp shift for employees. Nearly 8,000 roles have gone in a matter of months, while the company continues to reshape parts of its business.
Openreach at the centre
Openreach, BT’s network division, has accounted for most of the reductions as fibre construction has eased. The figures point to the greatest direct impact there, although the wider savings programme spans the business.
BT has not set out in the material a total number of jobs it plans to cut or a timetable for reaching a specific workforce target. Its stated cost goal is to save billions by 2030.
Chief Executive Allison Kirkby, who joined BT’s board before taking the top role in February 2024, has overseen the programme. Shares in BT, listed in London, rose as much as 6% in early trading on Thursday, reaching a five-year high and ranking among the FTSE 100’s strongest performers.
The next marker will be how BT pursues its 2030 savings target, particularly as fibre-network construction slows and the international business moves into its joint venture with Verizon.
