Meta Is Laying Off 10% of Its Workforce
Source: Slashdot
Layoffs Overview
Meta is reportedly cutting about 10% of its workforce, roughly 8,000 jobs, while closing thousands of open roles it had intended to fill. The company had almost 79,000 employees at the start of the year.
“We’re doing this as part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making.” — Janelle Gale, Meta’s chief people officer
Reasoning
The early disclosure was prompted by press reports that surfaced before the company was ready to announce the cuts. Gale explained:
“I know this is unwelcome news and confirming this puts everyone in an uneasy state, but we feel this is the best path forward, given the circumstances.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been directing resources toward building out AI capabilities, including model development, chatbot products, and the engineering talent to support them. The company set its 2026 capital expenditure guidance at $115 billion to $135 billion, almost double the $72 billion spent in 2025. Employees have been encouraged to use AI agents internally for tasks such as writing code.
Severance Details
According to the internal memo, severance for affected workers in the United States will include:
- 18 months of COBRA health insurance premiums
- A base pay component of 16 weeks, increasing by two weeks for each year of service
- Access to job placement assistance
- Help navigating immigration status where applicable
Severance packages outside the U.S. will vary by country.
Previous Cuts
- Reality Labs: Between 10% and 15% of its workforce was cut in January.
- VR Game Studios: Several studios were shut down.
- March Reductions: Approximately 700 positions were eliminated across at least five divisions.