Meta cuts nearly 1,400 jobs in Seattle area, 20% of local workforce, in sweeping AI revamp

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is cutting 1,395 jobs in Washington state, accounting for about 20% of its local workforce, as part of a companywide restructuring focused on artificial intelligence. The layoffs, disclosed in a filing with the Washington state Employment Security Department on Tuesday, affect teams working on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, advertising, and infrastructure. Before the cuts, Meta employed around 7,000 people in the Seattle region. The hardest-hit location is Meta’s Bellevue office in the Spring District, where 699 employees will lose their jobs. Other affected sites include the Dexter Avenue office in Seattle (215 cuts), the Redmond facility (206 cuts), a second Seattle office on Utah Avenue (44 cuts), and approximately 231 remote workers based in the state. The company plans to implement these changes by July 22. Meta’s restructuring follows an internal memo from April outlining broader cuts of about 8,000 roles globally, aimed at improving efficiency and funding AI investments. The company has allocated up to $145 billion for capital expenditures this year. This latest round of layoffs in Washington state comes after earlier cuts in January and March, totaling nearly 500 job eliminations, particularly in its AR and VR-focused Reality Labs division. The company’s spokesperson, Tracy Clayton, stated that changes include layoffs, role closures, and reassigning employees to critical business priorities. The Seattle-area layoffs are part of Meta’s broader strategy to streamline operations while accelerating its push into AI technology.