Meta is gearing up for its biggest round of layoffs since 2023, with plans to cut roughly 8,000 jobs starting May 20, according to a Reuters report.
The company, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is reportedly targeting a reduction of about 10% of its global workforce in this first wave. Sources told Reuters that Meta is also eyeing additional cuts later in 2026, though the scale and timing of those future layoffs haven't been finalized.
Meta declined to comment on the timing or size of the reported cuts.
If the report holds, this would be the largest single round of layoffs at Meta since the company's "Year of Efficiency" in 2022 and 2023, when it eliminated about 21,000 positions.
This time, the company's financial position is much stronger. Meta pulled in over $200 billion in revenue last year with $60 billion in profit, even as it poured billions into artificial intelligence. But as Meta accelerates its AI push, it's also restructuring its workforce.
Reuters reports that Meta executives envision a leaner organization with fewer management layers, where more work is done by AI-assisted employees.
The report also notes that the company recently reorganized teams within its Reality Labs division and moved engineers to a new applied AI group focused on building AI agents that can write code and handle complex tasks.
Some employees might also be reassigned to the Meta Small Business unit, which was formed last month.
According to Meta's latest regulatory filing, the company employed nearly 79,000 people as of December 31.
The company has already been trimming its headcount in the Bay Area this year. Earlier this month, The Chronicle reported that Meta planned to cut nearly 200 jobs in Burlingame and Sunnyvale, based on filings with California's Employment Development Department.
"Teams at Meta are regularly reorganized or undergo changes to ensure they're in the best position to meet their goals," a company spokesperson said in a statement. "We'll work to find other opportunities for employees whose roles may be impacted whenever possible." (See: The young man who attacked Sam Altman wanted to stop AI from destroying humanity)