Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg sent an email to around 78,000 employees on Wednesday morning as the company began issuing layoff notifications, with roughly 8,000 workers set to lose their jobs. The email, which arrived as the first wave of cuts began in Singapore at 4 a.m. local time, also addressed employees who remain at the company and outlined commitments on future restructuring.
Layoff process rolled out in three global waves
The layoffs, representing about 10 percent of Meta’s workforce, were executed in three phases starting on May 20. Notifications began in Asia, followed by Europe and then the Americas.
Affected employees in the US are being offered 16 weeks of severance pay along with two additional weeks for every year of service, as well as 18 months of COBRA health coverage. Alongside the job cuts, Meta is reassigning around 7,000 employees to artificial intelligence-related projects, while approximately 6,000 open positions have been eliminated.
Zuckerberg promises no further company-wide layoffs this year
In his message, Zuckerberg stated that Meta does not expect additional company-wide layoffs this year, offering what many employees viewed as a rare assurance amid months of uncertainty. He also acknowledged that the company had not communicated the restructuring process clearly enough.
The memo, first reported by The New York Times, comes after weeks of internal uncertainty following initial layoff signals on April 23, during which employees reportedly remained in a state of ambiguity about job security.
Major AI spending cited as key driver of job cuts
The layoffs come alongside Meta’s significant investment plans in artificial intelligence infrastructure, with capital expenditure projected between $125 billion and $145 billion this year. The spending is directed toward data centres, custom chips and model development under Meta Superintelligence Labs.
Chief financial officer Susan Li previously noted that the company is unclear about its optimal workforce size. Zuckerberg has also indicated that smaller, more efficient teams may be preferable in the evolving structure. Meta’s stock fell about 6 percent following the earnings update.
Internal unrest and employee response to restructuring
Employee sentiment inside Meta has reportedly declined sharply during the restructuring period. Internal forums and anonymous platforms have reflected growing dissatisfaction, including petitions opposing tracking tools used to monitor employee activity for AI training purposes.
Workers have also expressed frustration through informal internal responses and organised discussions, while morale has been described as low amid ongoing uncertainty.
Reorganisation leads to new internal structure and team consolidation
As part of the restructuring, around 2,000 employees have been absorbed into a new engineering unit led by vice president Maher Saba. The group, focused on applied AI and engineering, assigns managers responsibility for approximately 50 direct reports each.
The internal structure has been informally referred to by employees as “the Draft,” with participation not optional. Reports also indicate that Meta offered significant equity incentives to retain senior leadership talent during the transition.
Zuckerberg highlights AI focus amid continued uncertainty
Zuckerberg reiterated that artificial intelligence remains central to Meta’s long-term strategy, describing it as one of the most consequential technologies of the current era. However, for employees who remain at the company, uncertainty around further restructuring continues to shape workplace sentiment despite assurances of no additional company-wide layoffs this year.
