Meta Platforms is planning sweeping layoffs that could affect 20% or more of its workforce.
This comes as the tech giant seeks to offset rising artificial intelligence infrastructure costs and prepare for increased efficiency driven by AI-assisted workers.
According to a report by Reuters citing sources familiar with the matter, the layoffs are still under consideration, and no date has been set, while the final scale of the cuts has not yet been determined.
What Meta said
Responding to the report, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone described the claims as speculative
- “This is speculative reporting about theoretical approaches,” Stone said.
If implemented, the layoffs would represent the company’s most significant workforce reduction since its major restructuring in 2022 and 2023, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg described as the company’s “year of efficiency.”
Senior executives have reportedly informed some leaders within the company to begin planning potential workforce reductions, although the discussions remain internal and preliminary.
Meta had nearly 79,000 employees as of December 31, according to its latest corporate filing.
Backstory
Meta has carried out several workforce reductions in recent years as part of its restructuring and cost-cutting strategy.
In November 2022, the company laid off about 11,000 employees, representing roughly 13% of its workforce at the time. About four months later, it announced another round of layoffs affecting 10,000 workers.
- In an internal memo to staff, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in January 2025 said that it would cut about 5% of its global workforce, targeting what it described as its lowest-performing employees across different departments.
- Those who are laid off will receive severance in line with previous company policies. The layoffs affected thousands of staff, as Meta had more than 72,000 employees globally at the time.
The company later began implementing the layoffs across its operations in Africa, Europe, and Asia, with notifications to affected employees scheduled in phases across different countries.
More details
Over the past year, Zuckerberg has pushed Meta to compete more aggressively in the generative AI sector.
- The company has reportedly offered large compensation packages, some worth hundreds of millions of dollars over four years, to recruit top artificial intelligence researchers for a new “superintelligence” research team.
- Meta has also announced plans to invest $600 billion in data centre infrastructure by 2028 as part of its long-term AI strategy.
- Earlier this week, the company acquired Moltbook, a social networking platform designed for AI agents. It is also reportedly spending at least $2 billion to acquire the Chinese AI startup, Manus.
Zuckerberg has previously pointed to efficiency gains from these investments, noting in January that projects that once required large teams can increasingly be completed by a single highly skilled individual.
What you should know
The potential layoffs reflect a broader trend across the technology sector as companies restructure their workforce around advances in artificial intelligence.
In January, Amazon confirmed plans to cut around 16,000 jobs, nearly 10% of its workforce.
Similarly, fintech firm Block Inc. recently reduced its workforce significantly, with CEO Jack Dorsey citing improvements in AI tools that allow companies to operate with smaller teams.
