Meta to axe 8,000 jobs as Zuckerberg doubles down on AI race

Meta Platforms has begun issuing redundancy notices worldwide, affecting up to 8,000 roles, about a tenth of its global headcount. The reductions are concentrated in engineering and product divisions, including around 350 jobs in Dublin, Meta’s European headquarters. Prior to the notices, thousands of employees were redeployed into newly formed teams focused on building AI products, agents, and assistants integrated across Meta’s apps. Meta’s leadership frames the change as moving toward flatter structures with smaller pods or cohorts that can move faster and take more ownership. The layoffs coincide with a major capital expenditure plan, with spending up to $145bn this year to support data centers, chips, and engineering talent for AI.

"Meta Platforms started handing out redundancy notices on Wednesday morning, kicking off one of the most aggressive restructurings in Silicon Valley this year. As many as 8,000 roles, roughly a tenth of the company's global headcount, are expected to disappear as Mark Zuckerberg shifts the business onto a leaner, AI-first footing."

"The cuts are heavily concentrated in the company's engineering and product divisions, according to a Bloomberg report, with around 350 jobs in Dublin, Meta's European headquarters, set to go. The Irish capital has long been a critical hub for the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, hosting thousands of staff serving customers across the EMEA region."

"On Monday, some 7,000 employees were told they had been redeployed to newly formed teams charged with developing AI products, agents and assistants that will be threaded through Meta's family of apps. "We're now at the stage where many orgs can operate with a flatter structure with smaller teams of pods/cohorts that can move faster and with more ownership," Janelle Gale, Meta's chief people officer, wrote in an internal memo seen by staff this week."

"At its most recent quarterly results, the company told investors it would spend up to $145bn on capital expenditure this year, more than double the $72bn it shelled out in 2025. The job losses come as Meta pours unprecedented sums into the data centres, chips and engineering talent it believes will define the next decade of computing."

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