Meta eyes major job cuts again, first round from May 20 may hit 8,000 employees

Meta Platforms is planning a fresh round of layoffs starting May 20, with additional cuts likely later this year, according to a report. 

The Facebook and Instagram parent is expected to lay off about 10% of its global workforce, roughly 8,000 employees, in the initial round, Reuters reported citing three people familiar with the matter. Further layoffs are planned for the second half of the year, although the timing and scale remain undecided.

Executives may tweak the plans depending on how artificial intelligence capabilities evolve, the report said.

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The job cuts come as CEO Mark Zuckerberg continues to channel massive investments into AI, aiming to reshape the company’s operations around the technology. The move reflects a broader trend across Big Tech, where companies are increasingly linking workforce reductions to AI-led efficiency gains.

Amazon has cut around 30,000 corporate roles in recent months, nearly 10% of its white-collar workforce, while fintech firm Block slashed nearly half its staff in February. Meanwhile, Oracle laid off around 30,000 employees globally, including 12,000 in India. 

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Data from Layoffs.fyi shows that 73,212 employees have lost their jobs globally so far this year, underscoring the scale of the ongoing correction in the tech sector.

For Meta, the latest round marks its biggest workforce reduction since the “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when it eliminated about 21,000 roles amid slowing growth and a post-pandemic reset.