Meta plans big cuts

Meta is preparing a first layoff round for May 20 that would cut about 8,000 jobs, or roughly 10% of its workforce. (reuters.com) Reuters reported on April 17 that more cuts are planned for the second half of 2026, though the dates and size of those later rounds were still not settled. Meta employed nearly 79,000 people as of December 31, 2025, according to its latest annual filing. (reuters.com) (sec.gov) The cuts come as Meta is raising spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure, not pulling back from it. In January, the company said it expected 2026 capital expenditures of $115 billion to $135 billion, up from $72.22 billion in 2025. (investor.atmeta.com) Meta has used the language of efficiency for years. In March 2023, Mark Zuckerberg said the company would cut 10,000 jobs after eliminating more than 11,000 roles in November 2022, while also removing layers of management and closing about 5,000 open positions. (about.fb.com) That earlier restructuring helped reset how investors viewed the company. Meta’s 2025 revenue rose 22% to $200.97 billion, while full-year costs and expenses rose 24% to $117.69 billion, giving the company room to fund a larger build-out of data centers and computing power. (investor.atmeta.com) The current plan suggests Meta is treating headcount and computing capacity as separate budgets. The company is adding more money for chips, servers and facilities even as it looks for fewer managers and higher output from the employees who remain. (reuters.com) (investor.atmeta.com) Meta has not publicly announced the May 20 layoffs in a company statement. Reuters said the plans could still change as executives watch how quickly artificial intelligence tools improve and where they think automation can replace work. (reuters.com) If the timetable holds, Meta will start cutting jobs in a month while spending at a level that would rank among the biggest artificial intelligence build-outs in corporate America. (reuters.com) (investor.atmeta.com)