Meta layoffs: 8,000 workers to be laid off, Singapore workers among first hit by AI restructuring | Today’s news
Meta has begun notifying employees of a new round of layoffs that will affect nearly 8,000 employees worldwide, with employees in Singapore, one of the company’s largest Asian hubs, among the first to receive layoff notices Wednesday morning, according to reports in Bloomberg and The Business Times.
The latest layoffs are part of parent Facebook’s broader restructuring strategy, which is ramping up spending on AI infrastructure and AI-driven products while seeking to streamline operations and cut costs across several business units.
Bloomberg reported that employees in Singapore began receiving notifications as early as 4 a.m. local time, while workers in the United States and Europe should be notified in the coming days in their respective time zones.
The report goes on to say that the layoffs are spreading across several departments, including engineering, product development, operations and support functions.
According to The Business Times, the cut is expected to primarily affect teams not directly connected to Meta’s expanding AI business. The publication said the company is also aggressively hiring for AI-focused roles at the same time, including engineers working on AI agents, recommendation systems and extensive language model infrastructure.
Meta had nearly 80,000 employees worldwide at the end of March before the latest restructuring began, Bloomberg reported. The report went on to say that around 7,000 workers have already been reassigned internally to newly created AI-focused divisions as part of CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s broader push to make AI central to the company’s long-term business strategy.
In an internal memo reviewed by Bloomberg, Meta chief Janelle Gale reportedly told employees that the company’s goal is to create a “flatter structure with smaller teams” that can move faster and operate more efficiently. The report reportedly described the restructuring as part of a larger effort to improve speed of execution and increase accountability across teams.
The Business Times reported that analysts estimate the layoffs could help Meta save nearly $3 billion a year in operating costs. But the company’s spending on AI infrastructure, including data centers and advanced chips, is expected to soar this year, with estimates suggesting Meta could spend up to $145 billion on AI-related investments.
The latest round of cuts adds to multiple layoffs Meta has announced starting in 2022 as part of Zuckerberg’s “Year of Efficiency” strategy. The company has previously cut more than 20,000 jobs in various rounds of restructuring as slowing digital advertising growth and rising operating costs forced big tech firms to rethink hiring and spending patterns following a pandemic boom.
Industry analysts told Bloomberg that Meta’s latest restructuring reflects a broader trend in the global technology sector, where companies are increasingly reallocating resources towards artificial intelligence while cutting staff in traditional business units.
