Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta kicks off major bloodbath with 8,000 layoffs as AI roils tech giant

Meta executed its largest layoff in history on May 20, cutting 8,000 jobs as part of a 10% workforce reduction announced in April. Employees worldwide received termination notices at 4 a.m. local time, with Singapore staff notified first. The company’s human resources chief, Janelle Gale, directed North American employees to work remotely, leaving offices largely empty. Meta’s restructuring follows a shift toward AI, with the company investing $145 billion in capital expenditures this year—more than double 2025’s spending—despite investor concerns over an AI bubble. The layoffs are part of a three-wave process, with workers reassigned to AI-focused roles or terminated. Meta previously committed to severance packages of at least 16 weeks’ pay, plus two additional weeks per year of employment, along with healthcare and career support. Gale framed the cuts as necessary to ‘run the company more efficiently’ amid heavy AI spending. Employee morale has deteriorated, with some workers protesting Meta’s data-tracking program for AI training and others preemptively taking office supplies ahead of layoffs. In New York, employees planned a farewell gathering described as ‘commiserate or celebrate, pick your poison.’ An anonymous Meta worker told the *San Francisco Standard* the office was in ‘chaos,’ with widespread dissatisfaction over leadership and job security. Meta’s layoffs follow CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s previous cuts of over 20,000 roles in 2022–2023, driven by AI’s rise and efforts to reduce bureaucracy. The tech sector has seen over 52,000 layoffs in Q1 2026—a 40% increase from the same period last year—with AI cited as a primary factor. Competitors like Microsoft, Block, Coinbase, and Cisco have also announced AI-linked job reductions, signaling a broader industry trend. The company has not responded to requests for comment. Further layoffs are expected later this year, though specifics remain unclear. Meta’s actions reflect a strategic pivot toward AI, despite mounting concerns over sustainability and economic risks.