Meta will begin layoffs on May 20, with the first round affecting 8,000 (10%) employees. Due to the focus on AI, there is a possibility of more layoffs in 2026. This is part of a plan to cut 20% staff.
Meta plans to begin its first major layoffs this year on May 20. Reuters has given this information quoting three sources related to the case. This decision comes after the announcement made last month, in which the tech giant had announced plans to reduce its global staff by at least 20%. According to reports, about 8,000 employees may lose their jobs in this first round of layoffs, which is 10% of the company’s total workforce.
There will be layoffs in Meta in 2026 also
According to reports, another round of layoffs may be seen in the second half of 2026. However, the exact timing and scope of these alleged layoffs are not yet clear. Sources say that CEO Mark Zuckerberg is investing billions of dollars on AI, so plans may change depending on the company’s progress in this area. Meta has not yet given any official statement regarding the date and number of these layoffs.
a source said reuters Told that under this re-organization process, some employees will be transferred to ‘Meta Small Business’. This is a new division which was created only last month. According to a recent filing by the California-based company, Meta had about 79,000 employees as of December 31, 2025.
The phase of layoffs continues in the tech industry. According to Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks job cuts in tech companies around the world, more than 73,000 employees have lost their jobs so far this year.
This layoff in Meta in 2026 is considered to be the biggest after the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. During that time the company had laid off more than 21,000 employees. While the previous layoffs were done to handle wrong growth projections and falling stocks during the Covid-19 pandemic, this time the main reason for the layoffs is the AI transformation taking place in the tech world.