Meta orders work from home first, then lays off 8,000 employees worldwide

Meta has begun laying off around 8,000 employees globally as part of a restructuring process focused on improving efficiency, reducing operational costs, and expanding investment in artificial intelligence. Employees across multiple regions started receiving notifications on Wednesday, with workers in Singapore among the first to be informed. The company stated that the latest round of layoffs is linked to its broader AI strategy and organisational restructuring.

According to internal communications, employees in Asia were informed during early morning hours, while staff in Europe and the United States were expected to receive notifications according to their respective time zones. Workers were also encouraged to work from home during the process. The layoffs are expected to affect engineering and product divisions significantly, and reports indicated that additional job cuts could take place later this year.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has made artificial intelligence the company’s primary focus as it competes with firms including Google and OpenAI. The company has increased spending on AI infrastructure, development, and automation tools. Internal restructuring plans reportedly include reassigning around 7,000 employees into AI-focused teams, reducing management layers, and shutting nearly 6,000 open job positions.

The company had around 78,000 employees before the latest layoffs. Internal discussions reportedly described a move toward smaller and flatter organisational structures designed to operate with faster decision-making and increased ownership within teams. Reports also stated that Meta has encouraged engineers to use AI-assisted coding tools and has explored additional AI-driven workplace systems within the organisation.

Meta’s increasing investment in artificial intelligence has also raised concerns among some investors regarding long-term returns and spending levels. Estimates suggest the company’s annual capital expenditure could reach between $125 billion and $145 billion this year, largely linked to AI infrastructure and development projects. Reports further stated that the financial savings generated from the layoffs would account for only a limited portion of the company’s projected AI-related expenditure.