Meta plans 8,000 job cuts

Meta plans to begin a first wave of layoffs on May 20 that will affect about 10% of its global workforce, or close to 8,000 employees, according to Reuters, which cited three people familiar with the plans. The cuts would mark the company’s biggest workforce reduction since its 2022-2023 “year of efficiency,” when Meta eliminated about 21,000 jobs. Meta declined to comment to Reuters on the timing or scope of the planned reductions. The company reported 77,986 employees as of March 31, according to its first-quarter earnings release. ### Why is May 20 the date to watch? April 17 is when Reuters reported that Meta intended to start the first wave on May 20, citing three sources familiar with the plans. Reuters said additional layoffs were expected in the second half of 2026, though the date and size of those cuts had not been settled. (finance.yahoo.com) May 18 is when CNBC reported that layoffs were set to begin this week, starting Wednesday, and said the company had also scrapped plans to fill 6,000 open roles, citing an April memo. CNBC said Meta declined to comment for its report. ### How large are the cuts compared with Meta’s current workforce? (finance.yahoo.com) Meta said on April 29 that headcount stood at 77,986 as of March 31, up 1% from a year earlier. A reduction of about 8,000 jobs would amount to roughly one-tenth of that base, in line with Reuters’ reporting on the planned first round. (cnbc.com) The 21,000 jobs Meta cut in late 2022 and 2023 remain the company’s most recent benchmark for mass layoffs. Mark Zuckerberg said in November 2022 that he had “got this wrong” after pandemic-era overhiring, according to CNBC’s account of his message to employees at the time. ### Where is Meta putting the money instead? (investor.atmeta.com) April 29 is when Meta raised the stakes on artificial intelligence spending in public filings and earnings materials. The company reported first-quarter capital expenditures of $19.84 billion and said revenue rose 33% year over year to $56.31 billion. Zuckerberg said Meta had released its first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs and was “on track to deliver personal superintelligence to billions of people.” (cnbc.com) CNBC reported on May 18 that Meta lifted its 2026 capital-expenditure guidance by as much as $10 billion last month, to as high as $145 billion, as it ramps up AI investment. CNBC also cited an internal explanation for the cuts, saying the reductions were part of an effort “to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making.” (investor.atmeta.com) ### Is this part of a broader pattern in tech? Reuters reported that Amazon had trimmed 30,000 corporate employees in recent months and that Block cut nearly half its staff in February, with executives in both cases tying the reductions to efficiency gains from AI. Reuters also cited Layoffs.fyi as saying 73,212 tech workers had lost jobs so far this year. (cnbc.com) That broader comparison remains Reuters’ characterization, not Meta’s. Meta has not publicly framed the planned layoffs in the Reuters report as a change in business demand; the company’s public comments and earnings materials have focused on AI investment, infrastructure spending and internal efficiency. (finance.yahoo.com) ### What should employees and investors look for next? May 20 is the date Reuters identified for the first wave of layoffs, making it the next concrete milestone for employees waiting for notices and for investors watching headcount changes. Reuters said further cuts were expected in the second half of 2026, but details were still unsettled. (finance.yahoo.com) September 23 and 24 are the dates Meta has set for Meta Connect, its annual developer event. Before then, investors are likely to get another update on hiring, spending and AI priorities through Meta’s next quarterly disclosures, following the April 29 report that showed 77,986 employees and nearly $20 billion in first-quarter capital expenditures. (meta.com) (finance.yahoo.com)