Meta cuts about 8,000 jobs May 20

Meta Platforms is scheduled to begin a new round of layoffs on Wednesday, May 20, cutting about 10% of its workforce, or roughly 8,000 jobs, according to an April employee memo and subsequent reporting. The company is also scrapping plans to fill 6,000 open roles, extending a broader cost-cutting campaign that began with Mark Zuckerberg's 2022 and 2023 reductions. The latest cuts come as Meta raises spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and reorganizes parts of the company around AI work. CNBC reported on May 18 that employees were bracing for the layoffs and that more cuts could follow later this year. ### Why are these cuts happening on May 20? An April 23 memo to employees said Meta would start the layoffs on May 20 and would leave 6,000 open positions unfilled. CNBC reported that the memo framed the move as part of an effort to run the company more efficiently while offsetting other investments. (cnbc.com) Meta had 78,865 employees as of Dec. 31, 2025, according to its annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A 10% reduction from that base works out to about 8,000 jobs, the figure cited in CNBC's April and May reports. ### How does AI spending fit into the layoffs? (cnbc.com) Meta on April 29 raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $125 billion to $145 billion, up from a prior range of $115 billion to $135 billion. The company said the increase reflected higher component pricing and additional data center costs to support future capacity. (sec.gov) Mark Zuckerberg said in Meta's first-quarter earnings release that the company had posted a "milestone quarter" and released its first model from Meta Superintelligence Labs. CNBC said the layoffs follow smaller cuts earlier this year in Reality Labs and other units as Meta shifts resources toward generative AI. (investor.atmeta.com) ### How does this compare with Meta's earlier job cuts? November 2022 was the start of Meta's largest earlier retrenchment, when Zuckerberg told employees he had "got this wrong" after overhiring during the pandemic, according to CNBC's May 18 report. Those cuts later expanded to 21,000 jobs, and Zuckerberg in 2023 described that period as Meta's "year of efficiency," CNBC reported. (investor.atmeta.com) January 2026 brought another 1,000 job cuts in Reality Labs, CNBC reported, followed by reductions in March affecting hundreds of employees in units including Facebook, Reality Labs, global operations and sales. Meta also said last month it would move away from some third-party vendors and contractors handling content moderation in favor of AI tools, according to CNBC. (cnbc.com) ### What are employees and investors watching now? May 18 reporting from CNBC said employees across Meta were preparing for the start of the layoffs this week and that internal anxiety had risen as the company pushed harder on AI-first work. CNBC also reported, citing people with knowledge of the matter, that additional rounds could come in August and later in the fall. Meta declined to comment to CNBC for that report. (cnbc.com) April 29 earnings results showed Meta generated $56.31 billion in first-quarter revenue, up 33% year over year, while keeping its full-year expense outlook steady even as capital spending increased. That combination has left investors focused on whether Meta can sustain revenue growth while funding a larger AI build-out and reducing headcount. That last point is an inference from the company's reported spending plans and earnings disclosures. (cnbc.com) ### What happens next on May 20? Wednesday, May 20, is the date Meta told employees the layoffs would begin, according to the April memo reported by CNBC and confirmed in other coverage. CNBC reported on May 18 that the company was slated to start notifying affected workers this week, with more reductions possible later in 2026. (cnbc.com) (investor.atmeta.com)