Jamie Spencer
Meta is laying off thousands of employees as part of its latest push for higher productivity, according to a Business Insider report. The cuts, affecting about 5% of the company’s workforce, will impact workers in the U.S. and multiple other countries.
Key Details of the Layoffs
- Meta is cutting approximately 4,000 employees.
- Layoff notices will be sent out Monday morning via email.
- The company still has about 1,000 job openings in California.
According to Reuters, Meta executives say they are targeting the company’s “lowest performers”, but some positions will be refilled.
Global Impact of the Cuts
Layoffs will affect employees in Europe, Asia, and Africa between February 11 and 18. However, staff in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands are exempt due to local labor laws.
Meta’s Workforce Strategy
Meta has been steadily reducing headcount since 2023. Over the past two years, the company has laid off about 21,000 employees, roughly 25% of its workforce.
University of New Haven professor James Mohs noted that Meta has been focusing on eliminating low performers and raising its internal standards.
“Those that are not performing up to standards are being let go,” said Mohs. “There’s also speculation that employees resisting return-to-office mandates could be targeted.”
AI Hiring Still a Priority
Despite job cuts, Meta plans to hire more machine learning engineers and other roles critical to its AI development. Affected workers will receive severance packages similar to what the company has offered in past layoffs.
Wider Silicon Valley Job Cuts
Meta is not alone in trimming its workforce. Other major Silicon Valley tech firms have also announced layoffs:
- Workday (Pleasanton-based)
- Salesforce (San Francisco-based)
Both companies cited the need to redirect investment into artificial intelligence as a reason for the reductions.
Meta’s latest layoffs reflect ongoing cost-cutting measures in the tech industry as companies shift resources toward AI innovation. As hiring priorities evolve, more restructuring across Silicon Valley could be on the horizon.
