Meta lays out details of May 20 restructuring in internal document
Meta will lay off 10% of its workforce (around 7,799 employees) on May 20, transferring 7,000 staff to AI-focused initiatives while eliminating managerial roles to streamline operations. The restructuring, part of a broader AI overhaul, includes closing 6,000 open positions and has sparked employee backlash over privacy concerns and delayed communication about the cuts.
Meta announced plans to lay off 10% of its global workforce—approximately 7,799 employees—on May 20, according to an internal memo shared with staff on May 18. Chief People Officer Janelle Gale outlined the move as part of a broader restructuring aimed at improving AI workflows, with 7,000 employees reassigned to new AI-focused initiatives like Applied AI Engineering (AAI) and Agent Transformation Accelerator (ATA) XFN. The company will also eliminate managerial roles to adopt a flatter organizational structure, allowing smaller teams to operate more efficiently. The layoffs mark the latest phase of Meta’s AI-centric overhaul, following earlier reports of deep cuts this year. Gale’s memo confirmed that around 20% of the workforce will be affected, either through layoffs or transfers, with some changes already implemented. As of March, Meta employed 77,986 people, and the company has also frozen 6,000 open roles as part of the restructuring. Employees in North America were instructed to work remotely on May 20. The restructuring includes shifts to AI-driven teams designed to automate tasks currently handled by humans, such as Central Analytics for productivity measurement. Another initiative, Enterprise Solutions, will be detailed later. Employee resistance has grown, with over 1,000 staff signing a petition against Meta’s use of mouse-tracking software for AI training, raising privacy concerns. Executives faced criticism for delaying transparency about the layoffs, with employees using elephant imagery in internal posts to symbolize the "elephant in the room." Meta’s moves reflect a broader trend in the tech industry, where AI investments are reshaping workforce structures. The company has declined to comment further on the plans, leaving employees uncertain about their future roles. The restructuring aims to accelerate AI integration across Meta’s products and internal operations, though the process has sparked internal dissent over ethical and logistical concerns.
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