Meta cuts about 8,000 roles

Meta told employees on April 23 that it will cut about 8,000 jobs and stop hiring for 6,000 open roles. (cnbc.com) The company said the layoffs amount to roughly 10% of its workforce, with cuts set to begin on May 20. Bloomberg first reported the plan, and CNBC said the details were laid out in an internal memo. (cnbc.com) Meta said in its 2024 annual report that it had 74,067 employees as of December 31, 2024. CNBC reported the company had 78,865 employees as of December 31, 2025, which is the base for the new 10% cut. (sec.gov) (cnbc.com) The job cuts land as Meta sharply increases spending on artificial intelligence. In its February 2026 earnings materials, the company said it expects 2026 capital expenditures of $115 billion to $135 billion, up from $72.22 billion in 2025. (investor.atmeta.com) (s21.q4cdn.com) Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has framed that spending as part of Meta’s push to strengthen its position in AI products and infrastructure. CNBC said the company is trying to catch up in generative AI after lagging OpenAI, Google and Anthropic. (investor.atmeta.com) (cnbc.com) This is not Meta’s first round of cuts in the current efficiency drive. CNBC reported that about 1,000 people in Reality Labs were let go in January, followed by hundreds more in March across Facebook, Reality Labs, global operations and sales. (cnbc.com) Reuters reported in March that Meta was planning broader layoffs that could eventually affect 20% or more of the company as AI infrastructure costs rise. The April 23 memo appears to be the first concrete step, with a date, a percentage and a hiring freeze attached. (cnbc.com 1) (cnbc.com 2) Meta’s message to employees was that the cuts would help fund other priorities. The company said it is trying to run more efficiently while redirecting resources into the next phase of its artificial intelligence buildout. (cnbc.com)