Washington: Meta has begun another major round of layoffs, affecting nearly 8,000 employees as part of a broad restructuring exercise aimed at sharpening operational efficiency and expanding its artificial intelligence ambitions.
The latest cuts account for roughly 10 per cent of the company’s workforce and are being viewed as one of the biggest shake-ups at the social media giant since its earlier “year of efficiency” drive. While the layoffs have raised concerns across the tech industry, Meta’s severance package for departing workers has also attracted significant attention.
According to reports, affected employees in the United States will receive 16 weeks of base salary as severance, along with an additional two weeks of pay for every completed year of service. In addition, Meta is extending healthcare coverage for up to 18 months for employees and their families to help ease the transition period.
For workers based outside the US, compensation packages will vary depending on local labour laws and company policies, though Meta has indicated that international employees will receive comparable support.
At the same time, the company is internally shifting more than 7,000 existing employees into newly formed AI-focused teams. The restructuring, which combines layoffs and redeployments, will impact nearly one-fifth of Meta’s global workforce.
Company executives say the move is designed to create flatter organisational structures, reduce management layers, and build smaller, more agile teams capable of adapting quickly to technological changes. The internal overhaul reflects Meta’s increasing focus on artificial intelligence, which is expected to become central to both product development and internal operations.
Meta is reportedly planning capital expenditure of up to $145 billion this year, with a major portion directed toward AI infrastructure, including advanced data centres and memory-intensive computing systems.
Industry observers believe this signals a long-term transformation rather than a temporary correction. Analysts suggest the company is positioning itself aggressively in the global AI race, even if that requires difficult workforce decisions.
The latest cuts also mirror a wider trend across the technology sector. Thousands of jobs have already been eliminated across major firms this year as companies streamline operations and redirect investments toward automation and AI-driven innovation.
Meta had previously slashed more than 20,000 roles during restructuring efforts in 2022 and 2023. Reports now suggest additional job reductions could take place later this year, though the scale and timing remain uncertain.
For many employees, the latest round underscores the growing reality of a tech industry being reshaped by artificial intelligence — where generous severance packages may offer short-term relief, but long-term career uncertainty continues to grow.
