Tesla is hiring nearly 800 new employees just three months after CEO Elon Musk ordered mass layoffs of thousands of workers. The roles recently appeared on Tesla’s careers page, ranging from artificial intelligence specialists to service jobs, according to a Bloomberg analysis. This surge in job postings comes as Tesla’s market value has soared by more than $223 billion in the last 14 trading days.
The stock has been trending upward, with only one down session when Tesla delayed unveiling its robotaxi prototypes for design changes requested by Musk. While the 800 new jobs are far fewer than the thousands cut earlier this year, they provide insight into Tesla’s current needs. In May, there were only three jobs posted after the company missed vehicle sales expectations, prompting Musk to push for a 20% reduction in headcount, affecting about 28,000 employees.
Many new positions focus on AI, robotics, and Tesla’s Optimus project. At least 25 jobs relate to self-driving development or Autopilot, and 30 focus on Optimus, reflecting Musk’s vision of Tesla as an AI, robotics, and sustainable energy company. The hiring spree also aims to address areas where cuts may have been too deep, especially as Tesla prepares to unveil robotaxi prototypes in October.
Despite challenges with driverless car deployment, many investors remain optimistic about Tesla’s long-term potential in autonomous technology.
Tesla’s new job openings expand
Tesla faces competition for top AI and robotics talent, including within Musk’s own ventures.
From mid-May to July 10, Tesla’s AI and robotics positions in its Palo Alto office climbed from a handful to about 130. Beyond AI, Tesla’s expanding energy storage business is a key focus. The company reported deploying nearly as many megawatt-hours of energy storage in the first half of this year as in all of 2023.
Dozens of energy-related positions are listed in California cities like Palo Alto and Lathrop. Customer-facing roles are also being replenished. As of July 15, Tesla had 268 service-related roles posted, including 77 service technicians.
This hiring likely responds to previous cuts in sales and service staff, which impacted the company’s ability to meet demands during busy seasons. Tesla’s hiring spans several locations, including California, Texas, Nevada, and New York. The positions cover various departments, such as construction, facilities, manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment on these developments.
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