Dyson to cut up to 1,000 jobs in UK as part of global restructure

The Wiltshire-based company, known for the invention of the bag-less vacuum cleaner, said it is responding to global markets and ensuring its future.

Dyson CEO Hanno Kirner said the company would support those at risk of redundancy. With over 3,500 UK employees with offices based in Wiltshire, Bristol, and London, the company said it operates in “increasingly fierce and competitive global markets”.

Mr Kirner said: “We have grown quickly and, like all companies, we review our global structures from time to time to ensure we are prepared for the future. As such, we are proposing changes to our organisation, which may result in redundancies.”

He added: “Decisions which impact close and talented colleagues are always incredibly painful. Those whose roles are at risk of redundancy as a result of the proposals will be supported through the process.”

This is the second round of redundancies announced in recent years. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the firm cut 900 jobs, saying people were changing how they bought products. Last year, it announced plans to invest £100m in a new research and development hub in central Bristol.

Engineering firm Dyson was founded by Sir James Dyson in 1991. After developing 5,127 prototypes over five years, Dyson launched the "G-Force" vacuum in Japan in 1983, as no manufacturer in the UK showed interest due to the lucrative vacuum bag market.

With the success in Japan, Dyson established Dyson Appliances Limited (later Dyson Ltd) and introduced the first dual-cyclone vacuum cleaner, the DC01, in the UK in 1993.

This model quickly became the best-selling vacuum cleaner in the UK, and by 2001, it held 47% of the upright vacuum cleaner market in the country.