Report: Imperial Brands prepares job cuts running into the thousands

Single-source reported stage (Bloomberg, 10 August 2026, relayed by Reuters/ESM): British tobacco group Imperial Brands (Winston, Rizla) is preparing job cuts running into the thousands across its key markets, including the US and Europe. The first phase affects human resources, finance and procurement and supply chain staff at US unit ITG Brands (covering the US, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico); the second phase is to hit legal, marketing and insights and intelligence, with those affected notified in April and cuts starting mid-year. A company spokesperson confirmed that the changes would, over time, have an impact across the group's global market footprint, but gave no numbers. Imperial Brands employed around 25,800 people worldwide at the end of 2025; the share fell 5.3% to 2,643 pence on 10 August 2026. How many roles are affected in Europe remains open.