Auto Industry Deepens into Winter: Shrinking Bonuses, Layoffs Spread—How Can Workers Break Through?

Although Changan Automobile has denied rumors of canceling year-end bonuses, the reality of "4.3 months' salary plus a 3,000 yuan bonus" still reflects the industry's deepening challenges. Against the backdrop of waning electrification dividends and intensifying price wars, the automotive industry’s profit margin has plummeted to 4.4% in 2025—far below the peak of 10.2% during its golden era. Automakers are aggressively cutting costs and boosting efficiency, making benefit reductions and indirect pay cuts the new norm, while layoffs have spread from vehicle manufacturers to the entire supply chain, including chips and components. Meanwhile, government policies are steering the industry away from cutthroat competition toward high-quality development: starting in 2026, multiple mandatory standards for intelligent connected vehicles and battery safety will take effect, accelerating digital transformation. For professionals, the path forward lies in proactively embracing the "New Four Transformations"—electrification, connectivity, intelligence, and shared mobility—and enhancing multidisciplinary competencies. For companies, the focus must shift to core technologies, differentiation, and global expansion. In this harsh winter, both elimination and opportunity coexist.