Meta plans to lay off 8,000 employees while expanding investments in artificial intelligence, says agency

Meta announced internally this Thursday, April 23, that it will lay off around 8,000 employees. The number is equivalent to 10% of the company’s total employees. The company will also eliminate 6,000 vacancies that have not yet been filled.

The decision was communicated through a memo sent by the human resources director, Janelle Gale. The cuts begin on May 20th. The company seeks to balance high expenses with the advancement of artificial intelligence.

Internal Nota highlights search for efficiency

The human resources director explained that the measure helps to manage the company more efficiently. The goal includes offsetting heavy investments in AI. Meta plans to spend between $115 billion and $135 billion in 2026, focusing on chips, data centers and infrastructure.

Funcionários affected in Estados Unidos must receive severance pay of at least 16 weeks of base salary. Há two weeks increase for each year worked at the company. Internal communications recognized the impact of the news on the teams.

• Demissões affects around 8 thousand posts
• Eliminação of 6 thousand open positions
• Início scheduled for May 20th
• Foco on balancing costs with AI
• Manutenção of infrastructure investments

Crescimento from the board in recent years

At the end of December 2025, Meta had 78,865 employees. The number represented an increase compared to previous years. Entre the end of 2023 and the end of 2025, the staff grew by more than 11 thousand people.

Essa expansion followed previous rounds of cuts. In 2022, the company laid off 11 thousand employees. In March 2023, there were another 10 thousand. Agora, the company adjusts the team size again.

The movement comes as Meta accelerates artificial intelligence projects. Mark Zuckerberg had already commented that projects previously carried out by large teams can now be completed by highly qualified professionals with AI support.

Recent Acordos reinforces bet on AI

In February, Meta reached an agreement with AMD to purchase millions of chips. The value exceeds US$60 billion. The initiative is part of the larger infrastructure plan for artificial intelligence.

The company maintains its headquarters at Menlo Park, at Califórnia. The cuts are expected to occur in different areas, but specific details about departments were not disclosed in the internal note. Analistas monitors the impact on quarterly results.

Histórico of adjustments in transformation periods

Meta, responsible for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has undergone similar restructuring in previous cycles. Current cuts follow the pattern of aligning costs with new technology priorities. The company did not comment on deadlines for possible new rounds.

Global Funcionários receive communication about impacts. The process should prioritize individual notifications from May onwards. The company continues to hire in strategic areas linked to AI, even with the general reduction.