Overview
- Meta notified employees in a time‑zoned roll‑out beginning May 20 that it would eliminate roughly 8,000 roles, equal to about 10% of its workforce, and close thousands of open positions.
- About 7,000 staff were moved into four newly created AI‑focused organizations that leadership says will operate in flatter, pod‑style teams with fewer management layers.
- CEO Mark Zuckerberg and internal memos framed the changes as a shift of capital and people to AI infrastructure and products, with company guidance estimating 2026 AI and data‑center spending near $115–$135 billion.
- The cuts have produced viral personal reactions and internal pushback, including a high‑profile Instagram post from designer Asha Raval, a petition signed by more than 1,000 employees over device‑activity tracking for AI training, and criticism that Meta continued selective external recruiting during the layoffs.
- Meta has told employees it does not expect further company‑wide layoffs this year and has outlined severance, continued pay during a non‑working notice period, immigration help and benefits, while investors and regulators watch privacy and rehiring practices closely.