Meta to Slash 8,000 Jobs, 10% of Workforce on May 20
Meta will cut roughly 10% of its 79,000-strong workforce—about 8,000 jobs—on May 20 to offset rising AI infrastructure costs. It plans additional layoffs in the second half of the year and has shifted engineers into a new Applied AI division.
1. Initial 10% Workforce Cut
Meta will implement an initial round of cuts on May 20, eliminating approximately 8,000 positions (about 10% of its 79,000-strong global workforce) to reduce AI infrastructure expenses and streamline operations.
2. Planned Second-Half Layoffs
Further unspecified layoffs are scheduled in the second half of the year, with timing and scale yet to be announced as the company evaluates ongoing cost pressures from AI development.
3. AI Reorganization Focus
As part of its AI pivot, Meta has reorganized Reality Labs teams and reassigned engineers to a new Applied AI division tasked with building AI agents that automate code writing and complex tasks, targeting efficiency gains.