Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will lay off about 8,000 employees—nearly 10% of its global workforce—as part of a restructuring tied to increased investments in artificial intelligence. The move was detailed in an internal memo from Chief People Officer Janelle Gale and is set to take effect on May 20, according to Bloomberg.
The company will also pause hiring for roughly 6,000 open roles. Gale said Meta opted to inform employees directly after details leaked to the media, acknowledging the uncertainty the announcement creates.
Meta is redirecting resources toward high-priority projects, primarily AI infrastructure, and reports indicate the firm is investing billions to prepare for AI-centric future work. Affected employees will receive severance packages in the U.S. that include 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks per year of service, 18 months of healthcare coverage, and support such as career assistance and immigration help where needed.
This follows earlier rounds of cuts across divisions including Reality Labs, and some reports suggest further reductions could push total job cuts to as much as 20% of the workforce.
