Wikipedia (Representative)
Meta Platforms Inc. commenced the notification process for job reductions on Monday, initiating a plan that will result in the termination of thousands of employees as the organization seeks to address “low performers” and identify new talent to lead in the competitive AI landscape.
Employees affected by the layoffs were informed through email, and the company is providing severance packages to its US-based workforce, which include 16 weeks of salary along with an additional two weeks for each year of service, as reported by sources who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the information. Those employees whose performance reviews qualified them for a bonus will still receive it, and staff members will also be awarded stock options as part of the upcoming vesting cycle scheduled for later this month.
Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg informed employees that Meta plans to reduce its workforce by 5 percent, which equates to approximately 3,600 positions, primarily targeting those who are “not meeting expectations,” as reported by Bloomberg News in mid-January. Employees based in the United States will receive notifications on February 10, while international staff may be informed at a later date, according to Zuckerberg’s statements last month.
In a separate communication directed at managers, the co-founder of Facebook indicated that these reductions would allow the company to recruit the “strongest talent.”
Meta has consistently implemented job cuts in recent years, having laid off thousands of employees in 2022 and 2023 as part of an initiative to enhance efficiency. The current round of layoffs is anticipated to conclude by the end of the performance evaluation cycle in February. This action is part of Meta’s strategy to maintain a competitive edge against rivals such as OpenAI and DeepSeek in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Zuckerberg informed investors in late January that Meta expects to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in artificial intelligence infrastructure in the future. The company, headquartered in Menlo Park, California, is integrating AI technology across its various applications and business divisions, including social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as virtual reality devices.
