The US electric car manufacturer Tesla employs around 1,700 fewer people in its only car factory in Europe in Grünheide near Berlin than two years ago – the company speaks of normal fluctuations and a stable situation. “Compared to 2024, there have been no significant job cuts among the permanent workforce. There are no plans to do so,” said a spokeswoman on Wednesday when asked.
Job security in the Gigafactory continues to exist. Fluctuations in this size of the entire workforce – which also includes temporary workers – are “completely normal”. The production volume in recent years has remained constant and there are no plans to reduce either the volume or the staff, the company assured.
Production volume supposedly constant
The “Handelsblatt
” reported that Tesla currently has 10,703 employees in its gigafactory in Brandenburg, compared to 12,415 two years ago. That corresponds to a decline of around 14 percent. The newspaper relies on the electoral board in the Tesla works council for the figures.
The works council election is taking place in the factory this year. Tesla reported a workforce of around 12,500 in February 2024, just under 12,000 in autumn 2024 and around 11,000 at the end of 2025. When more than 10 percent of jobs were to be cut worldwide, Tesla only announced a reduction of 400 jobs for Grünheide.
Factory manager expects stability for German plant
After the factory ramped up quickly, the need for a flexible number of temporary workers decreased, the spokeswoman explained. She cited the optimization of work processes, automation in production and a permanent, significant decline in sick leave as reasons. New employees are always being sought. Further jobs would be created by 2027 due to the planned expansion of battery cell production.
Plant manager André Thierig repeated his recently expressed expectationthat the Gigafactory near Berlin is in operation despite the difficult market situation Germany will increase production this year. The electric car market has picked up again in Germany, but it remains difficult for Tesla there. Tesla supplies more than 30 markets from Grünheide in Brandenburg. The only European e-car factory owned by the CEO Elon Musk (54) officially began production in 2022.