Tesla Cuts Berlin Gigafactory Workforce By 1,700 Employees

Tesla’s workforce at its Gigafactory near Berlin has fallen by about 1,700 employees, according to a report by Germany’s Handelsblatt.

An internal document cited by the paper shows the Gruenheide site—Tesla’s only European production hub—now employs 10,703 people, a decline of roughly 14% from staffing levels disclosed ahead of works council elections in 2024. The company did not immediately comment, according to Handelsblatt.

The reduction follows CEO Elon Musk’s April 2024 announcement that Tesla would cut more than 10% of its global workforce to curb costs and boost productivity.

The move also fits a broader pattern in early 2026, as manufacturers and technology firms continue to streamline operations amid slower demand growth, tighter financing conditions, and a push to protect margins after several years of aggressive expansion.

In 2025, Tesla spent much of the year shifting from rapid expansion to consolidation. Management emphasized cost control, factory efficiency, and cash preservation as aggressive price cuts and softer demand compressed automotive margins.

Even as its traditional auto operations lost momentum, Tesla’s stock has been relatively resilient. Investors have increasingly focused on the company’s longer-term ambitions in robotaxi services, autonomous driving software, and artificial intelligence, viewing these as potential high-margin growth engines.

That optimism has helped support the share price despite slowing vehicle sales and a wider backdrop of job cuts across manufacturing and technology in 2026, as companies adjust to weaker growth and higher financing costs.