Tesla Motors' ($TSLA) job openings in China increased by 118% between October 2019 and February 2020, and a massive 376% over the past year. More recently, the trend has reversed, and openings since January are down 4% this month alone.

Tesla's new Giga Shanghai (AKA Gigafactory 3) is already producing thousands of Model 3s for an EV-hungry market. The new factory is slated to build battery cells, Model 3s, and Model Ys for what is considered the largest electric vehicle market in the world. Tesla isn't just making batteries and cars in China, either: it's also opening design and engineering offices and hiring teams accordingly.

Tesla Motors (NASDAQ:TSLA) job openings in China increased 118% between October 2019 and February 2020, and a massive 376% in the past year.

It's little surprise, then, that in the past year hiring in China has been accelerating. But in February, Tesla job listings in China slowed for the first time since last fall.

The slight reduction in openings came in the shadows of a production pause due to a government-mandated holiday at the end of January in response to concerns over the spread of coronavirus.

"At this point, we're expecting a 1 to 1½ week delay in the ramp (up) of Shanghai-built Model 3 due to a government-required factory shutdown," Tesla's chief financial officer Zachary Kirkhorn told investors during an earnings call at the end of January.

The dip in hiring is by all indicators temporary, as Tesla remains bullish on the Chinese market. Elon Musk mentioned that China is the continent "where the customers are".

Overall, hiring activity at Tesla is on the upswing globally, particularly in Germany, where Tesla is building another Gigafactory in the Berlin area.

About the Data:

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

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