Meta plans major workforce cuts that could impact up to 20% of employees

Meta is reportedly evaluating a large round of layoffs that could affect 20% or more of its global workforce, according to Reuters.

The potential cuts are seen as a way for the company — which owns Facebook — to balance its heavy investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure, along with increased spending on AI-focused acquisitions and hiring. As of December 31, Meta had nearly 79,000 employees, based on its most recent filing.

Responding to the report, a Meta spokesperson stated, “This is speculative reporting about theoretical approaches.”

The development comes at a time when several technology companies — including Block most recently — have announced broad layoffs, often citing the growing role of AI in automating tasks and reducing the need for certain positions. However, some analysts and industry voices, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have questioned these claims, suggesting that, in some cases, companies may be using AI as a justification for layoffs tied to other factors, such as overexpansion during the pandemic.

The last time Meta carried out layoffs on a similar scale was in November 2022, when the company eliminated 11,000 jobs. This was followed by another round of 10,000 job cuts in March 2023.