Meta Cutting Several Hundred Jobs Across Multiple Divisions Meta is laying off several hundred employees on Wednesday, according to CNBC. The layoffs are affecting multiple departments within the company, including Facebook, global operations, recruiting, sales, and its virtual reality division, Reality Labs. A source familiar with the company’s plans confirmed the restructuring, though they requested anonymity due to confidentiality concerns. Some impacted employees are being offered new roles within the company, though in some cases, these positions may require relocation. A Meta spokesperson stated that teams across the company regularly undergo restructuring to align with strategic goals. The spokesperson added, “Where possible, we are finding other opportunities for employees whose positions may be impacted.” The layoffs come as Meta shifts its focus toward artificial intelligence, investing billions of dollars to compete with rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. This move follows previous cuts in January, when Meta laid off employees in its Reality Labs division and shut down several VR studios. Those layoffs affected over 1,000 jobs, representing about 10% of the unit responsible for Quest VR headsets and the Horizon Worlds virtual social network. The company has also been scaling back its VR ambitions, with recent reports indicating a reduction in the number of VR titles in development. Meta’s stock rose nearly 3% in March after Reuters reported that the company could cut more than 20% of its workforce. However, a Meta spokesperson at the time dismissed the report as speculative, emphasizing that the company had not confirmed any such plans. Despite the layoffs, Meta continues to prioritize hiring talent in generative AI and related technologies.#meta #cnbc #reality_labs #hugo_barra #dreamer
Meta's Largest-Ever Layoffs Loom as AI Investments Drive Staff Cuts Meta is preparing for its most significant round of layoffs in company history, with employees in the wearables and ads divisions reportedly instructed to work remotely ahead of the cuts. According to Reuters, the restructuring could affect up to 20% of Meta’s nearly 79,000 employees, translating to approximately 15,800 job losses. This would surpass the previous waves of layoffs in 2022–2023, when the company trimmed 11,000 jobs in November and another 10,000 in early 2023. Earlier this year, Meta had already reduced its Reality Labs workforce by 1,500, signaling a continued push toward cost-cutting. The decision is tied to Meta’s $600 billion investment in AI infrastructure, with the company aiming to build data centers by 2028. Capital expenditures for 2026 are projected to reach as high as $135 billion, and Meta is also offering substantial pay packages to attract top AI researchers for its superintelligence team, led by Alexandr Wang. To fund these initiatives without alarming investors, the company is prioritizing headcount reductions. Mark Zuckerberg highlighted this strategy in January, noting that projects once requiring large teams are now being handled by smaller, highly skilled groups. The layoffs are compounded by internal challenges. Meta’s new AI model, codenamed Avocado, has reportedly underperformed in reasoning and coding benchmarks, with its release delayed to May. The company also shelved its Llama 4 Behemoth project, further straining its AI development efforts. With billions allocated to AI projects and a new engineering organization operating at a 1:50 manager-to-employee ratio, Meta is betting on a leaner, AI-driven future. This shift may leave many employees from older divisions without roles in the restructured company.#wearables #meta #alexandr_wang #reality_labs #avocado
