Meta Platforms has announced around 8,000 employees were laid off on Wednesday May 20, 2026, as the first part of sweeping restructing aimed at accelerating the company’s artificial intelligence ambitions.
The layoffs began with the Singapore -based workers, who were the first group to receiving emails regarding their job removal. The United Kingdom (U.K) and the United States (U.S.) were also informed of the job layoffs.
This will affect staff across engineering, product design, marketing and operations, with reports indicating the legacy project will meet metaverse the hardware division.
Meta Chief People Officer Janelle Gale announced that upwards of 7,000 workers will be redirected into newly created AI-focused teams including Applied AI Engineering, Agent Transformation Accelerator XFN and Central Analytics. The reshuffling will affect about 20% of everyone on Meta’s payroll.
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg stated that the move is “painful but necessary,” asserting that Meta must adapt its change in tech landscape. “We are entering a new era where AI is defining how people connect, work and create, leading to a space that offers talent and capital firmness.”
This is not the first time as Meta has laid off workers, as in 2023 and 2024 they similarly trimmed their workforce by laying off more than 20,000 workers.
The impact will be felt globally, as Meta plays a key role in digital advertising and content moderation, which could disrupt local businesses that rely on the platform’s support teams.
