Meta has begun laying off around 8,000 employees globally today while simultaneously moving roughly 7,000 workers into new AI-focused organisations, according to internal company memos first reported by Reuters.
The restructuring affects nearly a fifth of the company’s workforce through layoffs, transfers and role eliminations, highlighting how aggressively the Facebook parent is reorganising around artificial intelligence infrastructure and automation.
Employees across North America were instructed to work from home on Wednesday as the process unfolded. According to a memo reviewed by Reuters, layoff notifications were scheduled to begin at 4am local time and roll out in multiple regional waves.
The company had 77,986 employees at the end of March, based on regulatory filings.
AI teams become centre of Meta’s restructuring
The layoffs are being accompanied by a major internal reshuffle aimed at expanding Meta’s AI operations and flattening traditional management structures.
In a memo seen by Reuters, Janelle Gale, Meta’s Chief People Officer, told employees the company planned to transfer 7,000 staff into initiatives tied directly to AI workflows while also removing managerial layers across several teams.
Gale said organisational leaders had redesigned teams using “AI native design principles”, creating smaller operating groups capable of moving faster with fewer managers.
According to Reuters, the reassigned employees are being moved into projects including:
• Applied AI Engineering (AAI)
• Agent Transformation Accelerator (ATA) XFN
• Central Analytics
• Enterprise Solutions
Several of these initiatives were previously outlined by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth as part of the company’s broader “AI for Work” strategy.
The teams are focused on developing AI agents designed to automate tasks currently carried out by human employees internally.
Thousands of roles eliminated or frozen
Alongside the layoffs and internal transfers, Meta has also frozen or eliminated roughly 6,000 open positions that had previously been part of its hiring plans.
Key numbers tied to the restructuring include:
• Around 8,000 employees being laid off today
• Roughly 7,000 workers reassigned to AI-focused units
• About 6,000 open roles removed from hiring plans
• Nearly 20% of Meta’s workforce affected overall
Reuters reported that some employee transfers had already taken place before Wednesday’s layoffs, while others were expected to be communicated alongside redundancy notices.
US employees affected by the layoffs are expected to receive:
• 16 weeks of base pay
• Two additional weeks for every year worked at Meta
• Continued healthcare support
• Career transition assistance
Employees outside the United States are expected to receive severance packages aligned with local labour laws and market-specific timelines.
AI investment drive reshapes company priorities
The restructuring comes as Mark Zuckerberg sharply increases spending on AI infrastructure and model development.
Meta has projected capital expenditure of between $125 billion and $145 billion in 2026, with much of that spending directed towards AI data centres, custom silicon and large-scale model training.
During the company’s latest earnings call, CFO Susan Li said Meta was still evaluating what its ideal workforce size should look like as AI tools continue changing productivity expectations across the business.
The changes also mirror a wider trend across the technology sector, where companies are cutting jobs in traditional functions while increasing investment in AI-related products and infrastructure.
Internal tensions deepen over monitoring tools
The restructuring has intensified concerns among employees over workplace monitoring and transparency.
Reuters reported that more than 1,000 employees have signed a petition opposing Meta’s use of mouse and keystroke tracking software designed to help train AI systems that replicate human computer behaviour.
The internal tool, known as the Model Capability Initiative, has sparked criticism from workers worried about privacy and surveillance concerns.
Employees have also publicly challenged leadership on Meta’s internal Workplace platform over the company’s handling of the layoffs after Reuters first reported the plans weeks earlier.
According to Reuters, some workers responded to executive posts with elephant images, urging leaders to address what employees described as “the elephant in the room”.
Separate reporting by The Times of India cited anonymous workplace platform Blind data showing Meta’s employee satisfaction and culture ratings have fallen significantly from 2024 levels amid the restructuring uncertainty.
More cuts could follow later this year
The current layoffs may not be the end of Meta’s workforce reductions.
According to internal discussions cited by Reuters and The Times of India, company leaders have already warned employees that additional restructuring rounds could take place later this year, including another potential wave in August.
Zuckerberg recently described AI as “one of the most competitive fields, probably in history”, reinforcing Meta’s intent to rebuild major parts of the company around artificial intelligence capabilities.
Today’s layoffs show that Meta’s AI push is no longer limited to products and infrastructure. It is now reshaping how the company hires, manages teams and allocates work across the organisation.