Thursday, May 21

    MENLO PARK, CALIFORNIA / Content Syndication Services / — Meta Platforms has begun a new round of global layoffs as the Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp parent reorganizes staff around artificial intelligence, infrastructure spending and a flatter management structure. The cuts affect roughly 10 percent of a workforce that totaled 77,986 employees at the end of March, putting the reduction at about 8,000 roles across regions and business functions.

    Meta layoffs deepen AI shift as job cuts begin
    Meta layoffs put renewed focus on AI spending, workforce shifts and data center investment.

    Employees in affected markets began receiving notices this week in staged regional waves, with notifications sent according to local time zones. U.S. employees covered by the latest round were told they would receive severance based on base pay and tenure, along with health coverage support and career transition services. International packages are being handled according to local employment rules, company policies and applicable worker consultation processes.

    The reductions follow months of internal restructuring at Meta Platforms, including changes to management layers and reporting lines. The company has also moved thousands of employees into AI related roles, including work tied to AI infrastructure, product development and internal tools. The staffing changes are taking place as Meta continues to operate major consumer platforms, advertising systems, messaging services and hardware efforts.

    AI spending reshapes workforce

    Meta reported first quarter revenue of $56.31 billion, up 33 percent from a year earlier, while costs and expenses rose 35 percent to $33.44 billion. Capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, reached $19.84 billion in the quarter. The company said its headcount stood at 77,986 as of March 31, 2026, a 1 percent increase from the prior year.

    The company raised its full year 2026 capital expenditure outlook to a range of $125 billion to $145 billion, compared with a prior forecast of $115 billion to $135 billion. Meta said the increase reflected higher component pricing and additional data center costs to support future capacity. The guidance places infrastructure spending at the center of the company’s 2026 financial profile.

    Management layers reduced

    The latest restructuring is focused in part on reducing managerial layers and shifting more employees into individual contributor roles. Internal staff changes also include reassignment of employees to AI focused teams and related technical projects. The moves extend a broader effort inside Meta to adjust team structures after earlier large reductions in 2022 and 2023, when the company cut more than 20,000 jobs.

    Meta remains led by co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, who has made artificial intelligence a central operating priority across the company’s products and infrastructure. The current layoffs show how the company is balancing a large advertising business, rising data center commitments and internal workforce changes as AI systems become more deeply embedded in its engineering, product and workplace operations.