Meta Prepares Massive Layoffs Hitting 20% of Workforce

Meta is about to take a machete to its headcount. The company is preparing sweeping job cuts that could slash 20% or more of its workforce, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans.

The math is brutal. Meta had approximately 79,000 employees as of December 31. A 20% cut means roughly 15,800 people could be shown the door — potentially more.

The driving force behind the cuts? Skyrocketing AI infrastructure costs. Meta has been pouring billions into AI development, data centers, and compute power. Something had to give, and apparently that something is people.

This would mark one of the largest workforce reductions in Meta's history. The company has been through layoff cycles before, but the scale here signals just how aggressively it's reallocating resources toward its AI ambitions.