Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is preparing for another round of layoffs, impacting approximately 5% of its workforce.
Starting today, employees in most countries will begin receiving notifications at 5 a.m. local time, with exceptions for Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands due to local regulations.
Notifications for employees in other regions, including Europe, Asia, and Africa, will occur between February 11 and 18.
These “performance terminations” target employees deemed “lowest performers.”
This move comes as Meta simultaneously accelerates hiring for key engineering roles, particularly in machine learning, from February 11 to March 13.
This strategic hiring push reflects Meta’s focus on its 2025 priorities.
The company will not provide further layoff updates on Monday, and offices will remain open.
These layoffs are part of Chief Executive Office (CEO), Mark Zuckerberg’s strategy to streamline operations, reduce costs, and free up resources for substantial investments in AI.
This aligns with a broader trend of workforce reductions across major tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Salesforce, following pandemic-era hiring surges.
Meta has been engaged in significant downsizing efforts since 2022.
Initial cuts in November 2022 eliminated 11,000 jobs (13% of the workforce).
Mr Zuckerberg attributed this over expansion to a miscalculation regarding the longevity of the pandemic-driven e-commerce boom, along with increased competition, economic slowdown, and “ads signal loss.”
Further cuts of 10,000 jobs were announced in April 2023, mirroring industry-wide downsizing.
This ongoing restructuring, coupled with the renewed focus on strategic hiring, underscores Meta’s commitment to navigating the evolving tech landscape and positioning itself for future growth.
