Dyson to axe 900 jobs globally due to coronavirus impact

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Vacuum maker Dyson is cutting 600 jobs in the UK and another 300 around the world as the coronavirus pandemic has impacted consumer demand, a spokesperson for the company has said.

Founded by Sir James Dyson and famous for the invention of the bag-less vacuum cleaner, Dyson has a global workforce of 14,000, with 4,000 employees in the UK alone.

The firm has a strong presence in department stores, where it employs its own people to sell its products. But the global health crisis prompted a shift to online, lessening the need for in-store representatives and most of the 600 jobs will be lost in retail and customer service roles.

“The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated changes in consumer behaviour and therefore requires changes in how we engage with our customers and how we sell our products,” said a spokesperson.

“These proposals would regrettably result in around 600 redundancies in the UK and 300 in the rest of the world.

“We are evolving our organisation and reflecting these changes to make us faster, more agile, and better able to grow sustainably. We are fully supporting those who are impacted, finding alternative roles where possible.”

The company added that it has not furloughed any staff or drawn on public money to support jobs anywhere in the world during the pandemic.

Aside from vacuum cleaners, Dyson also designs and manufactures fans, air purifiers, hairdryers and lighting. Last year, it made the foray into electric car-making, but Mr Dyson said the car they built was “no longer commercially viable”.