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On January 29, Dow announced a new initiative titled “Transform to Outperform,” which involves laying off 4,500 employees. The goal is to improve productivity and growth rates, thereby enhancing competitive advantages and achieving better returns. “‘The ‘Transform and Exceed’ strategy will significantly streamline workflows, thereby ensuring that Dow maintains its global leadership position. ”Jim Fittling, Chairman and CEO of Dow, said that by leveraging industry-leading processes and advanced technologies, the company will further accelerate the measures already taken to overcome the current market challenges and industry-specific structural issues. Dow has established a dedicated internal team to drive the transformation process, with the goal of increasing Op. EBITDA by at least $2 billion between 2026 and 2028. About two-thirds of this increase in profits will come from improved productivity, while one-third will come from business growth. Dow estimates that the one-time costs associated with implementing this plan will be around $1.1 billion to $1.5 billion, of which approximately $600 million to $800 million will be spent on severance payments for the 4,500 employees being laid off, while another $500 million to $700 million will cover other one-time expenses. It is reported that Dow has production facilities in 29 locations, employing around 34,600 workers; these layoffs account for approximately 13% of the total workforce. The financial results released that day showed that Dow Corporation achieved net sales of $39.968 billion in 2025, a decrease of 7% ； The net loss was $2.444 billion, compared to a net profit of $1.201 billion in the previous year. Among them, sales in the fourth quarter of 2025 were $9.46 billion, a 9% decrease year-on-year ； The loss amount increased from $35 million in the same period of the previous year to $1.477 billion. Karen S. Carter, Dow’s Chief Operating Officer, said that the company will build on its existing initiatives for self-reform in order to turn Dow into a more resilient organization capable of sustaining growth, helping customers achieve success, and creating greater value for shareholders throughout the entire business cycle. To reduce costs and improve efficiency in order to cope with macroeconomic uncertainties, Dow has announced several layoffs in recent years. For example, Dow Chemical announced in January 2023 that it would lay off around 2,000 employees ； At the end of January 2025, Dow announced the reduction of 1,500 jobs worldwide ； In July 2025, Dow announced the closure of three chemical plants in Europe, as well as certain assets across its global portfolio, which will affect 800 jobs.