Meta Platforms Inc. plans to lay off about 10% of its workforce, or roughly 8,000 employees, as it looks to improve efficiency and offset heavy spending on AI, Bloomberg reported.
The layoffs are scheduled to take effect on May 20, according to a memo sent to employees. The company also plans to stop hiring for about 6,000 open roles it had intended to fill, as per the memo written by Chief People Officer Janelle Gale.
Gale noted that the company aims to offset other investments and cited the layoffs as part of this effort and to run the company more efficiently.
The move comes as Meta increases its investments in AI infrastructure. The company spent $72.2 billion on capital expenditures in 2025, largely on data centres and related infrastructure, and expects that figure to rise to at least $115 billion in 2026, according to its January earnings report.
Meta has also been investing in AI talent and acquiring startups such as Moltbook and Manus, as it competes with companies including OpenAI.
As per earlier reports, the company is also installing a tracking software on the computers of its U.S.-based employees to collect mouse movements, clicks and keystrokes to train AI models, which will now potentially replace the same employees.
Shares of Meta were down more than 2% on Thursday afternoon.
The layoffs are part of a broader trend across the technology sector, where companies have cited AI-driven efficiencies as a reason for workforce reductions. Amazon said in January it would cut 16,000 jobs, while fintech firm Block announced in February it would lay off more than 4,000 employees, or about 40% of its workforce.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had earlier indicated that AI could reshape the company’s workforce. During the company’s January earnings call, he described 2026 as “the year that AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work,” adding that some projects that once required large teams can now be handled by a single individual.
Meta said affected U.S. employees will receive 16 weeks of base pay, along with two additional weeks for every year of service. The company added that severance packages for international employees will be similar.
The company had previously cut tens of thousands of jobs in 2022 and 2023 following a surge in hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, it also said it would reduce about 5% of its workforce, targeting what it described as its lowest-performing employees, while planning to refill many of those roles.