Meta has reportedly laid off 8,000 employees
That's around 10 percent of the company, according to a memo from yesterday seen by multiple outlets.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg issued an all-hands memo to employees confirming that Meta is laying off around 8,000 employees and transferring another 7,000, according to reports from Sky News and Business Insider. "As previously shared, we have decided to reduce headcount... to allow us to offset the other investments we're making," the memo reportedly states. Meta said it didn't anticipate further "company-wide" layoffs this year.
The layoffs and transfers will affect around 20 percent of the company's workforce, making it one of the more significant cost-cutting measures in Meta's history. The news confirms a previous report about a memo from Meta's HR head Janelle Gale notifying employees that 7,000 of them would be moved to new organizations focused on building new AI tools and apps. It also verifies news from last month when Gale told employees that Meta would be cutting 8,000 jobs as "part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently." The company previously said that around 6,000 job vacancies would be left unfilled.
The memo from yesterday confirms people's worst fears about how AI will affect employment at large tech companies. "AI is the most consequential technology of our lifetimes," Zuckerberg wrote. "Success isn't a given. The companies that lead the way will define the next generation."
In January 2026, Meta said it had earmarked $115 billion to $135 billion in 2026 capital spending, double what it spent the year before, to "support our Meta Superintelligence Labs efforts and core business." That's a dominant part of its total expenses next year, projected to be between $162 billion and $169 billion
Multiple employees have posted about the layoffs on social media and elsewhere. "After nearly four years at Meta, I was one of the many, many people who were laid off today," a technical writer said on X. "Not just me, not just my team, but my whole entire 'function' was let go. Traded in for dollars to be spent on AI investment."
In the memo, Meta laid out guidance for areas like severance and visas. "We want to say again that we're grateful for your contributions. Your impact at Meta has been an important part of our story," Meta said in the memo. Engadget has reached out to the company for comment.