Meta Platforms Inc. is planning to lay off approximately 8,000 employees, representing 10 percent of its workforce, beginning May 20. This move, which will be the company's largest layoff since 2023, also includes the cancellation of 6,000 open roles. According to an internal memo from HR head Janelle Gale, the reductions are structural rather than performance-based.
The layoffs are intended to help the company run more efficiently and offset heavy spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure, which is estimated at 115 to 135 billion dollars. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has made the delivery of superintelligence a priority in a costly race against rivals including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. As part of this shift, Meta is reorganizing teams into AI-focused pods.
These cuts follow losses in two pivotal court cases and reflect a broader trend across the technology industry, where companies are trimming staff while experimenting with AI. For example, Microsoft is reportedly seeking to reduce its own ranks through voluntary buyouts for some US employees. Meta has indicated that additional cuts are planned for the second half of 2026.