More than 1,000 employees at ASML’s headquarters in Veldhoven, the Netherlands, walked out during their lunch break on March 24, 2026, in a show of protest over the company’s planned job cuts. The demonstration comes as ASML moves forward with an organizational restructuring that includes eliminating 1,700 positions.
The planned layoffs amount to roughly 3.8% of ASML’s workforce, a notable reduction for a company widely seen as central to the global semiconductor supply chain. ASML is best known for the advanced chipmaking equipment used by major manufacturers worldwide, so any internal shake-up tends to attract attention well beyond the Netherlands.
Employees used the lunchtime walkout to express concern about the scale of the cuts and what they could mean for teams, workloads, and longer-term stability inside the organization. While the protest was limited in time, the turnout signaled a strong reaction among staff at the company’s main hub.
ASML’s move is being framed as part of a broader restructuring effort, indicating the company is adjusting how it operates and allocates resources. For many workers, however, the decision is more than a strategic shift on paper—it directly impacts jobs, careers, and the people behind the technology that powers modern electronics.
With the restructuring now in motion and employee pushback becoming visible, the coming weeks will likely be closely watched for updates on how ASML plans to implement the reductions, whether further worker actions follow, and what the changes mean for the company’s operations in Veldhoven and beyond.
