Dutch brewing giant Heineken is scrapping 8,000 jobs worldwide in an effort to cut costs, and some 300 are scheduled to go in the Netherlands, the company confirmed on Wednesday.

Heineken has a global workforce of 85,000 and has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, as bars closed and social gatherings were discouraged.

The company said on Wednesday it had sold 8% less beer last year, net revenue was down 12% and that net profit was virtually halved to €1.2bn.

The job losses will save some €350m a year, the company said. In addition, it hopes to generate a further €2bn in savings by increased efficiency.

The brewer said in October that the pandemic would lead to job cuts and that it would cut personnel costs at its Amsterdam headquarters and regional country offices by 20% in the first quarter of this year.

Those job losses are included in the 8,000 reduction in the workforce announced on Wednesday, a Heineken spokeswoman told DutchNews.nl. ‘In the Netherlands (HQ and operating company) a total of 300 jobs are involved. This is a process we are currently in,’ the spokeswoman said.

Some 1,700 people currently work at Heineken HQ in the Netherlands.