Tesla is reportedly hiring again after massive layoffs earlier this year.
According to a Bloomberg analysis of the automaker’s job postings, Tesla will hire more than 800 workers for a variety of roles, including artificial intelligence and self-driving vehicles. That’s quite a change from May, when the company only listed three open roles on its corporate website.
It’s also a big shift from April, when Tesla laid off roughly 10 percent of its workforce. “For those remaining, I would like to thank you in advance for the difficult job that lies ahead,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote in an internal email during those cutbacks. “We are developing some of the most revolutionary technologies in auto, energy and artificial intelligence. As we prepare the company for the next phase of growth, your resolve will make a huge difference in getting us there.” (Tesla is no stranger to layoffs during its dramatic history, having undergone rounds of cutbacks over the past several years.)
Earlier this year, Tesla abandoned long-rumored plans to produce an even cheaper electric vehicle for the mass market, opting instead to focus on self-driving taxis; the latter product will supposedly roll out in October. It’s also working on Optimus, a household robot that, once perfected, may be capable of carrying out a wide range of tasks. Such initiatives will require numerous, highly specialized tech professionals, which is probably what’s leading to this burst of hiring.
Meanwhile, the tech unemployment rate rose to 3.7 percent in June, a notable increase after dipping to 2.5 percent in May. “Despite pockets of growth, the recent data indicates a degree of downward pressure on tech employment,“ Tim Herbert, chief research officer of CompTIA, wrote in a statement accompanying its analysis of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. “A combination of factors, including AI FOMO, likely contributes to segments of employers taking a wait and see approach with tech hiring.”
Whenever the tech industry (and the broader economy) hits some turbulence, keep in mind that specializing in in-demand fields such as artificial intelligence can help you stand out in a crowded field of applicants. Specialization may also make you a hiring target at tech giants such as Tesla.
