Meta will lay off around 8,000 employees, roughly 10% of its global workforce, starting May 20, according to an internal memo sent to staff by chief people officer Janelle Gale. The company said the move
is part of a broader effort to improve efficiency while continuing to invest heavily in artificial intelligence projects. Alongside the layoffs, Meta will also shut down about 6,000 open roles, signalling a wider pullback in hiring, Business Insider reported. In the memo, Gale acknowledged that the decision would create uncertainty for employees but described it as “the best path forward” under current conditions. The company began communicating the changes after details of the plan were leaked publicly. Employees affected by the layoffs are expected to be notified on May 20 via both their work and personal email accounts. The company has asked staff to ensure their personal contact details are updated in its internal systems. Meta said it would offer a severance package to those impacted. In the United States, this includes 16 weeks of base pay, along with an additional two weeks of pay for every year of service. The company will also cover healthcare costs through COBRA for up to 18 months for employees and their families. Packages for employees outside the US will vary depending on local regulations. The company added that it would provide career support services to help affected workers find new roles, along with immigration assistance where required. The layoffs come as Meta increases spending on AI infrastructure and development, a key focus area across the technology sector. Companies globally have been redirecting resources toward AI, often accompanied by cost-cutting measures in other parts of the business. While Meta did not provide detailed breakdowns of which teams will be affected, the scale of the cuts makes it one of the company’s largest workforce reductions in recent years. The announcement also leaves employees with several weeks of uncertainty before notifications are issued, a point acknowledged in the memo. The company said it would share more details closer to the date of implementation.
