Central News Agency (Central News Agency Reporter Lin Shang-ying, Berlin, June 30) German companies are accelerating the restructuring of their global footprints. A survey by the German business daily Handelsblatt in collaboration with management consulting firm Horvath, which polled 1,000 companies, found that high labor costs are the primary reason for companies reducing their domestic workforce in Germany. Nearly 60% of surveyed companies plan to continue cutting German employees over the next five years, with new job openings shifting to overseas markets such as India. Handelsblatt reported that the survey analyzed companies' business strategies from 2026 to 2030 and estimates that the German industrial sector could lose approximately 100,000 jobs by 2026, with the automotive, mechanical engineering, and construction industries being the most significantly impacted. Ralf Sauter, head of the Horvath report, stated that Germany's past model of driving economic growth through exports was very successful, but it is now gradually coming to an end. Companies are no longer simply producing in Germany and exporting globally. Instead, they are adopting a "Local for Local" strategy, positioning production and R&D in their main markets to be closer to customer needs while also reducing tariffs and geopolitical risks. The survey indicates that 60% of companies plan to continue reducing their German workforce over the next five years, with only 16% intending to increase domestic employees. Companies are more inclined to improve production efficiency through artificial intelligence, digitalization, and automation rather than continuous staff expansion. Therefore, Horvath named this study "Grow without Growing," signifying that companies can maintain growth without increasing personnel. Handelsblatt analysis suggests that while cumbersome bureaucratic procedures and high energy prices are widely believed to weaken the competitiveness of German companies, the survey shows that