Meta plans big layoffs

Meta is preparing a new round of layoffs that is expected to start May 20 and cut about 8,000 jobs. (foxbusiness.com) The planned cuts amount to roughly 10% of Meta’s global workforce, according to a Reuters report cited by Fox Business. The same report said more layoffs are expected in the second half of 2026, though the timing and size were still unclear as of April 17. (foxbusiness.com) Meta had 78,865 employees as of December 31, 2025, according to its latest annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. A 10% reduction would be close to the 8,000 jobs cited in the Reuters report. (sec.gov) The company has been expanding spending on artificial intelligence, including data centers, chips, and internal AI teams. Reuters previously reported in March that Meta was weighing cuts that could reach 20% of staff as it tried to offset those costs and rely more on AI-assisted work. (cnbc.com) Meta has already been moving engineers into a new Applied AI group and reorganizing parts of Reality Labs, the division that builds virtual and augmented reality products. Fox Business, citing Reuters, said the latest layoffs are part of that broader restructuring. (foxbusiness.com) The company has pushed this playbook before. Meta cut 11,000 jobs in November 2022 and announced another 10,000 layoffs in March 2023 during Mark Zuckerberg’s “year of efficiency.” (foxbusiness.com) Meta has not confirmed the new layoff plan. A company spokesperson previously called the earlier Reuters report about larger potential cuts “speculative reporting about theoretical approaches,” and Fox Business said Meta declined to comment on the newer report. (usatoday.com) The next marker is May 20. If the first wave begins on that date, Meta would be starting its biggest workforce shake-up since the 2022 and 2023 cuts. (foxbusiness.com)