Tesla reported that it had 140,473 employees at the end of 2023, accounting for just under 9 percent growth compared to the year before.
It is a significantly slower growth spurt than in 2022, when Tesla added 29,000 employees to its workforce, a 23 percent increase from 2021.
In 2022, there were several factors that contributed to the aggressive acquisition of 29,000 new employees. One of these was the ramp of production at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla more than tripled its employee workforce in Austin in 2022, going from 3,523 workers in 2021 to 12,277 employees the next year.
Along with other projects that encouraged a more robust workforce, Tesla was able to increase its headcount in 2022 because of its increased workload and new facilities.
However, in 2023, hiring slowed down, and the company did not open any new production facilities, nor did it need to fill out manufacturing processes with more people. Instead, it launched only one new vehicle last year with the Cybertruck.
Tesla detailed its workforce headcount in its 10-Q filing this morning:
“A competitive edge for Tesla is its ability to attract and retain high-quality employees. During the past year, Tesla made substantial investments in its workforce, further strengthening its standing as one of the most desirable and innovative companies to work for. As of December 31, 2023, our employee headcount worldwide was 140,473.”
In 2022, Tesla finished the year with 127,855 employees.
While Tesla does have more factories planned, with one in Mexico and rumors of another in India potentially coming, a more drastic increase in employee headcount will likely happen when those facilities begin operation.
Tesla noted that its employee retention is high due to internal opportunities and benefits:
“We have created an environment that fosters growth opportunities, and as of this report, nearly two-thirds (65%) of our managers were promoted from an internal, non-manager position, and 43% of our management employees have been with Tesla for more than five years. Tesla’s growth of 35% over the past two years has offered internal career development to our employees as well as the ability to make a meaningful contribution to a sustainable future.”
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