Tesla’s Gigafactory in Buffalo, New York — often overshadowed by the company’s massive vehicle plants in Texas, Nevada, and Berlin, has met the statewide job requirements tied to its $1 lease agreement.
According to a required employment report submitted to the state, Tesla employed 2,399 full-time workers at its South Buffalo facility at the end of 2025, along with 1,060 additional employees across New York, including at service centers and showrooms.
With a small number of part-time staff included, the company surpassed its mandated statewide target of 3,460 jobs.
That milestone comes after a tense year in which state lawmakers criticized Tesla and floated proposals to claw back public subsidies or revoke its dealership licenses. The Buffalo plant was constructed with roughly $1 billion in state support under a 2014 agreement.
Now, state officials appear cautiously optimistic after the company met the job requirements. “Very happy,” said Hope Knight, president and CEO of Empire State Development, the agency overseeing the agreement. (via Gothamist)
Giga New York History
When the factory was first announced under then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, it was envisioned as a major solar manufacturing center. While solar production has faced delays and strategy shifts over the years, Tesla says it has now begun manufacturing its latest solar panels at the site and has invested $350 million in supercomputing infrastructure there.
Today, Giga New York primarily produces Supercharger components and energy products. It also houses teams supporting Full Self-Driving (FSD) development, including data annotation specialists who process vehicle data to refine the software.
