Meta lays off 8K staffers to operate ‘more efficiently’

Meta Platforms told employees Thursday that it would lay off 10% of its workforce “to run the company more efficiently” while managing high AI-related expenses. The layoffs take effect May 20 and will impact roughly 8,000 people. The Facebook parent will also close another 6,000 open roles, Chief People Officer Janelle Gale said in an internal memo, first reported by Bloomberg. Last week, Meta hinted aggressive cuts were in the pipeline as its artificial intelligence commitments accelerate. The company is scheduled to release first quarter earnings next week.

Meta just announced it will fire 8,000 people. And cancel 6,000 open roles. 14,000 careers affected in a single memo.

The layoffs start from May 20. The employees just got a month to sit at their desks knowing their job ends in 27 days.

The memo from Meta’s Chief People Officer: “We’re doing this to run the company more efficiently and to offset the other investments we’re making.” Meta has projected record capital expenditures this year. Billions for data centers. Billions for chips. Billions for infrastructure. The money has to come from somewhere. It is coming from 8,000 paychecks.

The pattern is no longer a pattern. It is a business model. Fire humans. Fund machines. Repeat annually. Meanwhile, Microsoft announced voluntary buyouts for thousands of its US employees on the same day. Two of the largest tech companies in the world cutting headcount on the same Thursday afternoon.