As part of Cemex’s Cutting Edge Project, the cement company reduced its workforce by 10.3% in 2025 compared to 2024.
The company reported progress in its efficiency and cost-saving initiatives, as well as a significant impact on its workforce, dropping from 44,009 employees in 2024 to 39,462 employees in 2025.
Cemex’s Cutting Edge Project
In its fourth-quarter 2025 report, Cemex does not specify whether the Cutting Edge Project is intrinsically linked to this workforce reduction, but the indicator is tied to other strategies, such as increased use of artificial intelligence.
The company’s cost of sales, as a percentage of net sales, decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 67.4% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2025. “This decrease is attributed to sustained savings from the Cutting Edge Project, as well as a favorable energy environment,” said Cemex.
Launched on February 6, 2025, the Cutting Edge Project is Cemex’s operational efficiency strategy to optimize margins and accelerate its global growth. Its goal is to generate savings of $350 million by 2027 through the simplification of processes and administrative structures.
Cost Reduction
The initiative leverages artificial intelligence and supply chain digitization to reduce operating expenses. By automating orders and logistics, the cement company aims to maximize its free cash flow and strengthen its competitiveness in key markets.
Ultimately, these savings drive shareholder returns through dividends and share buybacks. Additionally, they enable the financing of strategic acquisitions, consolidating a solid financial balance sheet that complements the company’s sustainability goals and industrial leadership in the North American region.
Cemex’s main global competitors include Lafarge Holcim, Heidelberg Materials, CRH, and Votorantim Cimentos, leaders in the production, distribution, and comprehensive solutions for global construction materials.
Corporate Leadership
In February 2025, Cemex began a new phase under the leadership of Jaime Muguiro Domínguez. At the direction of the Board of Directors, the executive took on the challenge of capitalizing on previous progress and prioritizing the optimization of financial indicators. His leadership will focus on increasing returns for shareholders and transforming critical operational areas that present opportunities for improvement.
In 2025, Cemex maintained its net sales at $16.132 billion (0% year-over-year change) and increased its net income by 2% to $960 million.
This annual performance offsets a loss of $355 million reported in the fourth quarter, which resulted from asset impairment charges in the United States and Colombia.