Meta to Begin Major Layoffs as AI Restructuring Accelerates
US technology giant Meta Platforms is set to begin the first phase of a major round of layoffs on May 20 this year. According to internal sources, the company will initially cut 10 percent of its global workforce, amounting to roughly 8,000 employees. Further layoffs are also planned in the second half of 2026.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is undergoing a significant transformation in its business structure. The company is reorganizing itself around Artificial Intelligence, aiming to boost productivity and reduce management layers through AI-driven systems. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the decision is part of a broader effort to streamline operations.
This round of layoffs could eventually surpass the scale of the company’s “Year of Efficiency” initiatives in 2022 and 2023, during which around 21,000 employees were let go. Earlier this year, Meta had already reduced about 5 percent of its workforce. As of December 2025, the company employed approximately 79,000 people.
The trend of AI-driven job cuts is not limited to Meta. Amazon has recently laid off around 30,000 office workers, also citing AI adoption as a key factor. Meanwhile, financial technology firm Block, Inc. has reportedly cut half of its workforce.
Job losses across the global tech industry continue to rise. According to data from Layoffs.fyi, more than 73,000 tech workers have lost their jobs so far in 2026. In comparison, the total number for all of 2024 stood at 153,000.
Internally, Meta is also implementing several structural reforms. Its Reality Labs division has been reorganized, and engineers have been shifted into a new “Applied AI” division. This unit is focused on developing AI agents capable of automatically writing code and handling complex tasks. Additionally, the company has recently launched a new unit called “Meta Small Business.”
Analysts say Meta’s move goes beyond simple cost-cutting. Instead, it reflects a broader strategic effort to realign the company’s workforce structure in response to the rapidly evolving AI era.
DBTech/BMT/OR
