Tesla announced Tuesday it would cut 9 percent of its workforce in an effort to reduce costs.
The layoffs, first reported by Bloomberg and later confirmed by Tesla's CEO Elon Musk in a [tweet](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1006597562156003328), will largely affect salaried employees and not the company's manufacturing line. Musk said the cuts were "difficult, but necessary" and won't hurt Tesla's ability to meet production targets for its Model 3 vehicle.
"They're focusing on the jobs that are going to be driving revenue and profit for the company and cutting everything else," said Galileo Russell, founder of HyperChange TV. "Obviously the Model 3 ramp is the most important thing right now and keeping that production line fully staffed is a must."
Tesla has experienced repeated production delays of its mass-market Model 3 for almost a year. Musk had said he expected to roll out 5,000 cars a week by the end of 2017, but with the assembly line mired in what he called "manufacturing hell," the target has been pushed back several times.
At the company's shareholder meeting last week, Musk said Tesla was now on track to make 6,000 Model 3 cars a week by the end of the month. That news sent shares soaring nearly 10 percent, their biggest gain since November 2015.
The stock was up as much as 7 percent Tuesday morning after the research firm Keybanc Capital raised its forecast for Model 3 deliveries by as much as 50 percent, to 35,000 cars, in the second quarter.
News of the layoffs ate into the stock's gains.
A Tesla spokesman said the job cuts would reduce Tesla's headcount to about 37,000 employees.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/tesla-to-cut-about-9-of-workforce).
Co-founder and executive chairman of the board at Vaxxinity Lou Reese shares how the company is working to bring vaccines for chronic illnesses like heart disease and Parkinson’s to market with an eye for accessibility.
Mario Veneroso, Kingsview Asset Management Partner, weighs in on the latest economic data and whether the market is pricing in too many rate cuts for the coming year.
Apple has rolled out an update to its operating system this week with a feature called Stolen Device Protection. It makes it a lot harder for phone thieves to access key functions and settings, and users are being urged to turn it on immediately.
The U.S. economy grew at an unexpectedly brisk 3.3% annual pace from October through December as Americans showed a continued willingness to spend freely despite high interest rates and frustrating price levels.
Alan Becker, CEO and Investment Adviser Representative at Retirement Solutions Group and RSG Investments, shares his thoughts on the latest GDP data plus why he's not sold cryptocurrency as a long-term asset.
The Biden administration wants to ban another type of bank “junk fee," targeting fees that are typically charged by banks when a transaction is declined in real time.
Al Root, senior writer at Barron’s, breaks down everything expected from Tesla’s earnings report, from Elon Musk’s demands from the board to why the market has been looking for affordable EV options.