BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Tesla plans to lay off nearly 300 of its employees in Buffalo, according to a notice filed with New York State on Tuesday.
In total, 285 employees are set to be laid off. Of that number, 280 will be employees at the 1339 South Park Ave. building, while five more will be from the location at 1216 South Park Ave.
The notice comes as Tesla plans to lay off about 10% of its workforce, which CEO Elon Musk said in a memo to employees earlier this week. Tesla currently employs 2,032 people in Buffalo, so the 285 represents about 14% of its workforce in the city.
Musk’s memo said that as Tesla prepares for its next phase of growth, “it is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity,” The New York Times and CNBC reported.
Also Monday, two key Tesla executives announced on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that they are leaving the company. Andrew Baglino, senior vice president of powertrain and energy engineering, wrote that he had made the decision to leave after 18 years with the company.
“I am deeply concerned about Tesla’s significant layoffs at its factory in South Buffalo," State Senator Sean Ryan said in a statement Wednesday. "Tesla is contractually obligated to meet specific employment targets. While Tesla is still above its employment benchmark agreement with New York State at this time, New York State should be prepared to impose fines on the company if layoffs continue. I will continue to monitor this situation and will do my part to ensure Tesla is held to the commitment it has made to Buffalo.”
A document states that the Buffalo layoffs are expected to begin on July 15.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here.
