Norwegian energy services provider Aker Solutions is set to make workforce and capacity cuts as a response to an anticipated decrease in activity levels this year.
After several years of record-high workload, Aker Solutions announced yesterday, January 7, that it expects activity levels to decrease in 2026 compared to 2025 and will, in order to adapt to the market situation and prepare for the future, reduce capacity and headcount in certain areas.
A reduction in headcount may affect just over 500 of the company’s 12,000 permanent full-time positions, with approximately 300 of these related to the yard in Verdal, where the changes will take effect from early spring 2026.
The remaining reductions are distributed across various locations in Norway and internationally, and in some areas have already been implemented.
The adjustments will affect roles at production facilities, as well as engineering and support functions, and will be carried out through a combination of natural attrition and redundancies.
According to Aker Solutions, the total number of affected employees may change, depending on the success in securing new projects during this period. Some locations are expected to continue experiencing high activity this year, and measures have already been taken to enable employees from less active sites to contribute where demand is greater. However, headcount reductions are necessary in parts of the business as the market for new projects, both in oil & gas and renewables, is developing more slowly than expected.
“We still see many opportunities both in Norway and internationally, but the anticipated activity level means we must take action now to ensure the company’s robustness and sound financial management,” said Kjetel Digre , Chief Executive Officer at Aker Solutions.
“The industry has seen high activity in recent years as a result of the package of measures, adopted by the Norwegian parliament in 2020, intended to bridge the gap towards a growing renewable market, especially offshore wind. As this transition is taking longer than anticipated, we are now feeling the effects.”
Digre notes that the company is working to position itself for new market conditions and that results are already visible from several improvement programs where new technology and smarter ways of working are reducing costs for customers, with offerings being developed in new areas, creating more opportunities to win additional work.
“The supplier industry is familiar with fluctuations, but processes involving significant restructuring and workforce reductions are still demanding. How we handle these changes will be greatly influenced by our consideration of the people affected,” said Digre .