Meta Announces Global Layoffs Affecting Approximately 8,000 Employees Worldwide

Meta Announces Plans to Cancel Hiring and Shift Employees Amid Ongoing Layoffs

Meta has confirmed that it will cancel plans to hire 6,000 new employees as part of its ongoing restructuring efforts. The company has also announced that approximately 7,000 existing employees will be shifted into artificial intelligence (AI) workflow-related roles.

The layoffs, which began on Wednesday, are expected to affect around 10% of the company’s global workforce, representing about 8,000 people. Affected workers include those in the integrity team, cybersecurity teams, and content design division.

According to Meta representatives, affected employees in the United States will receive 16 weeks of severance pay, plus an additional two weeks for every year they have been employed at the company. The parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram has also announced that it will cancel its hiring plans and shift existing employees into AI-related roles.

The move comes amid reports of declining morale within the company, with some workers expressing concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on their jobs. A recent petition signed by over 1,500 people called for an end to data collection efforts aimed at training Meta’s own AI models.

Meta has been investing heavily in AI development, including the Meta Superintelligence initiative, which is forecast to cost between $125 billion and $145 billion this year. The company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has stated that he believes investing in AI will be crucial for the future of the business.

Other tech companies have also announced significant layoffs, with Cisco cutting around 4,000 workers recently. Meta shares were up 0.1% in midday trading following the announcement.

Source: Al Jazeera