Several German major industrial companies have announced big job cuts despite strong earnings. It has caused widespread discontent amongst workers, trade unions and politicians.

Luxury car maker BMW says it will cut another 5,600 jobs by the end of the year, on top of 2,500 other positions that have already been lost.

Head of the IG Metall trade union in Bavaria, Werner Neugebauer, responded angrily to BMW's announcement, commenting that companies generating billions in profits have a responsibility to give people work.

"Up to know, we thought that what is going on at the moment, that is to massively pressurise people, belonged to the last century. It also has never happened before at BMW. "

Some analysts are defending the measures taken by BMW to maintain and extend profit margins.

Soeren Wiedau is from the Weber Bank in Berlin.

"There are many companies which we see in a downturn phase at the moment and which want to take countermeasures, and simply want to maintain and extend their margins. This is only possible with belt-tightening, and a first step here is also personnel,"

According to the Federal Labor Agency, the number of unemployed people in Germany was around 3.6 million in February, down nearly 15 percent compared with one year ago.