XPeng plans to hire over 6,000 workers amid fierce competition
- Tesla laid off around 15,000 U.S. workers in April 2024, primarily in Texas and California.
- During the layoffs, Tesla requested over 2,000 H-1B visas, leading to concerns over labor practices.
- The company's shift to hiring foreign workers at lower salaries has raised significant controversy regarding job displacement.
In April 2024, Tesla laid off approximately 15,000 U.S. workers, affecting multiple departments but notably in its Texas and California operations. As the company faced criticism, it significantly ramped up its use of H-1B visas, requesting over 2,000 during this layoff period. Many of those laid off were senior engineers earning higher salaries, who have since been replaced by less experienced foreign engineers at lower pay rates. This shift has raised alarms about the misuse of the H-1B program, with fears that companies are exploiting it to reduce labor costs and displace American workers in favor of cheaper foreign labor. Elon Musk's strong advocacy for increasing H-1B visa allocations contradicts this trend, especially as his actions seem to undermine American employment in favor of foreign talent. The ongoing debate around the H-1B visa program continues to stir strong opinions among conservatives and progressives, highlighting the complexities of immigration and labor in the tech industry.