British American Tobacco to cut or outsource 9,000 jobs in cost-cutting push
British American Tobacco said it will cut about 9,000 jobs — roughly a fifth of its global workforce of around 47,000 — by removing 5,500 roles and shifting another 3,500 to outside firms, including Accenture, the BBC reported . The reductions, aimed at all staff outside the United States, are part of a restructuring meant to deliver about £600 million in annual savings by 2028 and are expected to be largely complete by the end of 2026.
The company frames the overhaul as a move to a more automated, technology-enabled operating model, leaning on AI to lift productivity. The underlying pressure is structural: demand for combustible cigarettes keeps falling, and BAT is steering spending toward vaping devices and nicotine pouches, where margins and growth now sit. Cutting back-office headcount preserves cash for that transition while declining volumes erode the legacy business.