Volkswagen has long been the economic engine of Wolfsburg, the German city built around its factories and workforce.

But with the company planning around 50,000 job cuts across Germany by 2030, including 35,000 at its core VW brand, people here are increasingly concerned about what that means for the future of their city.

In Wolfsburg, Volkswagen is not just the biggest employer, it is the reason the city exists at all.

The company employs around 60,000 people locally in a city of roughly 130,000 residents, making the fortunes of the carmaker and the city deeply connected.

That dependence has also made Wolfsburg one of Germany's wealthiest cities.

Economic output per person is more than double the national average, driven largely by Volkswagen and the spending power of its workers.

"Volkswagen is Wolfsburg, and Wolfsburg is Volkswagen," said Bilal Majid, who runs a jewellery store in the city centre.

"They are extremely important for our city because they are the customers with the strongest spending power here and in the surrounding area."

Majid says signs of uncertainty are already appearing.

Luxury spending, he explains, is often one of the first indicators of consumer confidence, and customers are becoming more cautious.

The concern comes as Volkswagen faces growing pressure.

The company reported net profits of 6.9 billion euros last year, down around 44 percent, while operating profit fell by more than half.

In a management briefing on April 28, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume warned: "The Volkswagen Group has a strong foundation. However, we are currently not earning enough money with our vehicles to finance our future sustainably."

Blume has also indicated Volkswagen is open to sharing underused factory space in Europe with Chinese carmakers as it looks for ways to cut costs and remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.

For many in Wolfsburg, those decisions feel deeply personal.

"If jobs disappear here in Wolfsburg because of VW, it would be death for the city," Majid said.

"It would be like Detroit, like we saw with General Motors. Wolfsburg would be the same, because everything depends on VW."

Residents say the pressure extends far beyond the factory gates.

"There are loans, mortgages and houses not yet paid off," said Wolfsburg resident Michaela Rosati. "There is naturally fear and dissatisfaction in families."

At the city's Volkswagen museum, reminders of the company's golden era stand alongside growing uncertainty about the future.

For decades, Volkswagen helped define Germany's industrial success.

Now, as the company restructures and searches for new ways to stay competitive, many in Wolfsburg are watching closely, aware that when Volkswagen slows down, their city feels it first.