Meta Platforms to Cut 10% Jobs by May 20, Confirms HR Chief Janelle Gale

In a statement sent to employees on May 20, Meta's chief people officer Janelle Gale announced plans to lay off about 10% of the company's worldwide workforce. After weeks of rumours about the social media company laying off employees, Gale finally broke the news.

According to the message, on May 20, the firm will be laying off about 10% of the workforce as a consequence of organisational changes. About 8,000 workers around the world will be impacted by the layoffs. As a result, Meta is joining an increasing number of big tech businesses that are cutting jobs while investing more in AI.

Meta Adopting New Operational Strategy

Along with the layoffs, there will be a temporary halt to hiring for over 6,000 unfilled positions. The business had intended to fill these additional positions in the past. Instead of a one-time cut, this strategy points to a more systemic need to rethink labour planning. The decision to notify quickly following public reporting of the layoffs was something that Gale admitted in the memo.

She mentioned that Meta usually prefers to gather more information before discussing this in general. But now that word has got out, Gale intends to reveal as much as she can. There have been rumours in the media that this round might not be the last. Meta has not officially announced any additional rounds of layoffs, but the company may choose to lay off as many as 20% of its employees over time.

Affected workers will get "generous" severance compensation, according to the corporation. Included in this package is healthcare coverage for up to 18 months, 16 weeks of base pay plus two weeks for every year of service, and more in the US. Packages for non-US employees will differ by nation, but Meta has promised to provide career guidance and immigration aid to those who need it.

Why Meta Decided to Layoffs?

Gale connected the layoffs to a larger initiative to increase productivity and reallocate funds in the memo. She said that this is just one more way Meta is trying to streamline operations. On top of that, it can balance out the firm's other investments. Reports have surfaced that Meta has been pouring billions on AI infrastructure, mirroring a trend in the sector as a whole, although the message did not name these investments.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has already hinted that AI will be pivotal in changing the nature of labour. "Artificial intelligence will begin to significantly alter our work practices around 2026," he predicted. There has been some backlash within Meta over claims that the company is training AI systems using data collected from employees' activities, such as keystrokes and mouse movements.