Meta is downsizing by about 10 percent

Meta is making another steep cut to its staff, this time to the tune of a 10 percent reduction in its workforce.

About 8,000 people will be laid off and about 6,000 open jobs will also be eliminated, according to https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-23/meta-tells-staff-it-will-cut-10-of-jobs-in-push-for-efficiency" target="_blank">Bloomberg.

In an internal memo from Janelle Gale, Meta's head of human resources, the latest cuts are "part of our continued effort to run the company more efficiently and to allow us to offset the other investments we’re making." Those "other investments" are likely in artificial intelligence.

Meta is building its own https://www.engadget.com/ai/metas-muse-spark-model-brings-reasoning-capabilities-to-the-meta-ai-app-161456684.html" target="_blank">models and apparently https://www.engadget.com/general/hey-meta-workers-are-you-getting-paid-for-those-keystrokes-131934881.html" target="_blank">training them on its own staff.

Its smart glasses are also https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-warned-by-dozens-of-organizations-that-facial-recognition-on-its-smart-glasses-would-empower-predators-185000998.html" target="_blank">leveraging ever-more AI capabilities. 

Today's layoffs likely don't mark the end of Meta's current contraction.

A report from March suggested that Meta was planning to downsize by up to https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-is-reportedly-planning-to-cut-up-to-20-percent-of-its-staff-in-upcoming-layoffs-160812304.html" target="_blank">20 percent, although no timeline was given.

The company cut https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-lays-off-hundreds-of-workers-including-more-from-reality-labs-171536879.html" target="_blank">hundreds of jobs, primarily in its Reality Labs division, shortly after those claims circulated.

It also kicked off 2026 by slashing its metaverse operations with the closure of https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/meta-has-closed-three-vr-studios-as-part-of-its-metaverse-cuts-202720670.html" target="_blank">three VR studios.