Société Générale to cut 1,800 roles through attrition

Societe Generale has outlined a new phase of internal restructuring in France aimed at simplifying its organization, improving operational efficiency, and accelerating the use of automation and artificial intelligence.

The initiative builds on the group’s strategic roadmap unveiled in September 2023 and follows a group-wide collaborative effort involving nearly 2,000 employees. That effort generated several thousand proposals focused on streamlining processes, consolidating teams, optimizing procurement and tools, and expanding automation and AI across functions.

As part of the plan, Société Générale has submitted a proposal to employee representative bodies in France covering certain headquarters functions, multiple business activities, and the regional organization of retail banking. The branch network itself is not affected. The goal is to reduce organizational complexity while making teams more agile and better aligned with client needs.

The group expects to reduce its net workforce in France by approximately 1,800 positions, relying on natural attrition and internal mobility rather than layoffs. The changes fall under an Employment Agreement signed in December 2025 with three trade unions and do not involve a redundancy plan.

To support the transition, Société Générale plans to expand career-long training through Société Générale University and launch a new Mobility and Skills Campus designed to facilitate internal role changes and cross-entity career paths. The group says these measures are intended to help employees transition into new roles as automation and AI reshape operating models.

The changes would be rolled out gradually over 2026 and 2027, with potential extensions beyond that timeframe for parts of French retail banking.