Meta will cut around 10% of its global workforce, or roughly 8,000 employees, by 20 May, according to an internal memo sent by Chief People Officer Janelle Gale to staff on Thursday. The company will also pause hiring for about 6,000 open roles.
The memo, first reported by Bloomberg, said the company is making organisational changes that will “result in us laying off around 10% of the company on May 20”. Gale acknowledged in the memo that the company chose to communicate early after details of the layoffs were reported publicly.
“We’re doing this as part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making,” Gale wrote. “This is not an easy tradeoff, and it will mean letting go of people who have made meaningful contributions to Meta during their time here.”
The cuts place Meta among a growing list of large technology companies, including Microsoft, Oracle, and Amazon, that are reducing headcount while increasing capital spending on artificial intelligence.
According to the memo, US-based employees will receive a severance package of 16 weeks of base pay plus two additional weeks for every year of service, along with healthcare coverage for up to 18 months. Severance for employees outside the US will vary by country in line with local laws, but the company has said it will also offer career support and immigration assistance where required.
The company has not disclosed the regional split of the cuts or whether India-based employees will be among those affected. Meta operates significant teams in India across product, engineering, and policy functions.
The reduction would be Meta’s largest workforce action since its 2022–23 restructuring, when it cut about 21,000 roles across two rounds during what CEO Mark Zuckerberg termed the “year of efficiency”. Meta’s projected 2026 capital expenditure on AI is estimated at $135 billion, up from $115 billion the previous year, according to media reports.
