Here’s how many people Tesla laid off at its California facilities

FAN Editor

Tesla‘s January layoffs impacted at least 1,017 California employees, according to the company’s filings with the state’s Employment Development Department that were obtained by CNBC. Bloomberg first reported on the number of California employees effected.

Specifically, the filings revealed that Tesla laid off 78 employees from its headquarters in Palo Alto, 137 from its Lathrop facility and 802 from various facilities, including in Fremont at its car plant.

In Fremont, where the company laid off the highest number of California employees, Tesla dismissed more than 30 equipment maintenance technicians, more than 50 auto service technicians, more than 60 supervisors in various departments including 37 manufacturing supervisors and more than 70 production associates.

Overall, the company reduced its workforce by 7 percent, Tesla said in earlier disclosures about the restructuring.

On a fourth-quarter earnings call this week, Elon Musk discussed Tesla’s current focus on controlling costs several times.

Addressing analyst’s questions about the global economy and a possible recession in 2019, Musk said:

“Getting those costs down, variable costs and fixed costs, is what allows us to lower the price and be financially sustainable and achieve our mission of environmental sustainability. So, we have to be absolute zealots about this. There’s no question.”

He also said:

“I do think that the economy moves in cycles, and there’s clearly a significant risk of a recession over the next 12 to 18 months. But I’m confident that Tesla will remain slightly profitable even if there is a significant recession, and then be all the stronger for it when the recession ends. But we have to be relentless about costs in order to make affordable cars and not go bankrupt. That’s what our head count reduction is about. Yeah. We have to be super hardcore about it. It’s the only way to make affordable cars.”

Tesla generated $7.23 billion in total revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018, more than double its $3.29 billion in revenue during the same period a year earlier, following a 9 percent round of layoffs in June. Its profits declined from the third quarter, however, and the company will need to pay off $920 million in debt due March 1.

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