BELL COUNTY, Texas — The electric vehicle giant Tesla has laid off around 10% of its workforce — nearly 14,000 people.
25 News spoke with a man, who did not want to be identified, that was expecting to move up to a better position in May until he checked his email this morning.
"I'd seen a message from Tesla saying that I'm no longer employee with them and they’re sorry and all this,” said the former employee.
He now knows he’s just one of thousands, and says his heart is breaking for everyone else.
"Those people have families to support, they have kids, they have a wife,” the former employee said.
"That's how people live, is off their work. With a layoff like this, it just destroys a lot of things.”
In a notice to affected employees, the company wrote:
"It is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity.... Unfortunately as a result, your position has been eliminated.”
”Just look for a different job,” said the former employee.
Tesla shares dropped three percent on Monday after word of the layoffs spread.
In fact, Tesla shares have dropped around a third of their value since the beginning of 2024.
The former employee 25 News spoke tell me he can make some money doing ride sharing and deliveries for now but it’s not enough to pay the bills.
It was a similar story from several former employees we heard from — most did not want to speak on the record.
