Meta is preparing to carry out an initial wave of large-scale job cuts on May 20 that will remove about 10% of its global workforce - roughly 8,000 positions - company restructuring insiders report. Leadership is also planning further reductions in the second half of the year, though the dates and magnitude of those subsequent cuts have not been finalized, and executives have signaled they may modify the timetable as they evaluate progress in artificial intelligence capabilities.
Management has made significant strategic commitments to AI, with the chief executive directing hundreds of billions of dollars toward reshaping the business around the technology. The move to pare personnel comes as part of a broader effort to create fewer layers of management and to boost operational efficiency through AI-assisted workflows.
In recent weeks Meta has already begun organizational changes aimed at concentrating AI work. Teams within the Reality Labs division were reorganized, and engineers across the company were shifted into a newly formed Applied AI organization charged with accelerating the development of AI agents capable of writing code and performing complex tasks autonomously. Some employees will also be moved into a Meta Small Business unit established last month as part of the restructuring.
Company filings show that Meta employed nearly 79,000 people as of December 31. The planned initial reductions would mark the most significant layoffs at the company since its late 2022 to early 2023 restructuring, when it cut about 21,000 jobs in what was described at the time as a "year of efficiency." That earlier downsizing occurred as the company worked to correct growth assumptions carried over from the COVID period.
Financially, Meta entered this cycle in a stronger position than during the prior cuts. The company reported more than $200 billion in revenue and about $60 billion in profit last year while continuing heavy investment in artificial intelligence. Its stock has risen 3.68% since the start of the year, though it remains below a record high reached last summer.
The broader technology sector has seen comparable workforce reductions this year. A major online retailer trimmed 30,000 corporate employees in recent months - nearly 10% of its white-collar workforce - while a fintech firm cut nearly half of its staff earlier this year. In both instances, executives linked the layoffs to efficiency gains and reallocation of resources tied to artificial intelligence.
Industry job trackers show significant hiring impacts so far this year. Layoffs.fyi, which compiles global tech job cuts, reported that 73,212 employees have lost their jobs so far this year, with the full-year total for 2024 recorded at 153,000.
The company has not publicly confirmed the timing or scope of the planned cuts. Executives are reportedly monitoring developments in AI capability and may adjust plans accordingly. Details on which specific business units beyond the previously mentioned teams will be affected have not been finalized.
What this means
- Meta's first wave of layoffs on May 20 will target roughly 10% of its global staff - nearly 8,000 roles - with additional cuts planned later in the year but not yet scheduled or sized.
- Reorganization focuses on consolidating AI work into an Applied AI organization and reallocating some employees to a newly created Meta Small Business unit.
- The company remains profitable and has sizable revenue, but leadership is prioritizing efficiency gains and fewer management layers enabled by AI.