(Yicai Global) Jan. 21 -- Tesla has continued with an extensive recruitment drive in China despite the new energy vehicle giant's plans to reduce its workforce in the US due to spiraling production costs.

Shares in the Paolo Alto-based firm [NASDAQ:TSLA] slid 10 percent intraday on Jan. 18 after Chief Executive Elon Musk confirmed plans in a letter to employees to cut about 7 percent of its full-time workforce and boost Model 3 output.

The layoffs could affect some 3,000 positions based on a tweet sent out by Musk last year, which stated that the NEV maker employed some 45,000 people globally as of the end of the third quarter. It wasn't specified whether all of these were with Tesla on a full-time basis.

In China, the company is forging ahead with its Gigafactory 3 facility in Shanghai, where it broke ground two weeks ago. The vast majority of the 50 positions that have been on offer in recent weeks in the country are related to the facility, slated to open before the end of the year.

Musk emphasized the need for Chinese talent at the facility when he attended its groundbreaking. "We have been looking for top talents to join Tesla China," he said.

Editor: William Clegg