Tesla is set to hire more than 800 workers in the U.S. for roles ranging from construction and manufacturing to artificial intelligence and robotics. This move comes roughly three months after the company initiated a series of mass layoffs.
In April, Tesla began laying off thousands of workers across its global operations, impacting nearly every division. Among those who left were at least six executives, including the senior director of human resources and the senior vice president of powertrain and energy.
According to CNBC, around 14% of the company, which amounts to approximately 19,600 workers, were laid off. Tesla also seemed to implement a hiring freeze, taking down thousands of job postings at least twice since the layoffs began.
“In some areas, there has been duplication of roles and job functions due to the rapid growth,” CEO Elon Musk informed employees while announcing the job cuts.
Now, Tesla seems ready to replenish its workforce. New job listings have gradually been appearing on Tesla’s careers webpage over the past few weeks, as first reported by Bloomberg News.
At least 64 positions are dedicated to AI and robotics projects, including Tesla’s Optimus robots and the Dojo supercomputer. Musk has indicated that Tesla will spend “well over $1 billion” on Dojo, which is intended to process the vast amount of data collected by its electric vehicles.
Musk has recently highlighted the potential value of Tesla’s Optimus robots, suggesting that they could add $20 trillion to the company’s market capitalization. While the robots are not expected to be available for sale until the end of 2025, they are anticipated to be priced between $20,000 and $30,000. Musk predicted that by 2025, Tesla will have more than 1,000 robots operating within the company.
Tesla’s careers page also lists at least 25 jobs related to the development of Autopilot and self-driving technology. The company expects that an autonomous fleet of Tesla “robotaxis” will be a significant revenue stream in the future. Musk has envisioned a network combining elements of Airbnb and Uber, allowing car owners to opt their vehicles into the service.
The unveiling of Tesla’s self-driving technology has been delayed by two months, with a product demonstration now planned for October. Musk recently mentioned that he requested an “important design change to the front” of the vehicle, and the additional time would allow Tesla to showcase “a few other things.”
These plans reflect Musk’s longstanding belief that Tesla will achieve full self-driving autonomy—a goal he has frequently promised but has yet to fulfill. In recent months, Musk has referred to Tesla as an “AI/robotics and sustainable energy company,” rather than just an electric vehicle manufacturer.
Tesla’s careers page also features numerous energy-related jobs and internships. The company recently reported its highest quarterly deployment of energy storage products, reaching 9.4 gigawatt hours in the second quarter. The energy division, an often overlooked part of the company, may begin to play a more substantial role in earnings and stock performance.
“We believe investors will start focusing more on Tesla Energy, which we value at $36 per Tesla share ($130bn), as the business is uniquely positioned to benefit from investments in the U.S. electric grid accelerated by the AI boom,” wrote Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas earlier this month.