A wave of anxiety is sweeping through Meta Platforms Inc. as the company prepares to issue termination letters to approximately 7,800 employees on May 20, 2026.
This initial round represents roughly 10% of the social media giant’s global workforce and marks the beginning of what sources suggest could be several waves of cuts throughout the year.
The Logistics of “Survival”
In an internal memo obtained by Business Insider, Meta confirmed that affected staff will receive notices via email sent to both their work and personal accounts.
Management has urged employees to ensure their contact details are updated, acknowledging the “incredibly unsettling” ambiguity caused by the weeks-long lead time between the announcement and the action.
The restructuring goes beyond current staff; Meta also plans to close roughly 6,000 open roles, effectively halting near-term hiring in several divisions.
Departments expected to be hit hardest include Reality Labs, recruiting, sales, and global operations.
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Meta AI Investments vs. Human Capital
Despite reporting a staggering $60 billion in net profit last year, Meta is aggressively pivoting toward a future of “pace and agility” driven by artificial intelligence.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently projected capital expenditures for 2026 to reach as high as $145 billion, primarily for AI data centers and infrastructure.
During a recent internal town hall, Zuckerberg clarified that while AI is not “directly replacing” these workers, it is enabling smaller teams to be more efficient.
He described the company’s two major cost centers—infrastructure and people—noting that increased spending in one necessitates reductions in the other.
Severance and Future Uncertainty
Meta has pledged a severance package for U.S. employees consisting of 16 weeks of base pay, plus two additional weeks for every year of service.
Meta will also extend health coverage for 18 months for impacted families.
However, the “countdown” may not end in May. Chief People Officer Janelle Gale reportedly told staff that executives cannot guarantee this will be the final round of layoffs as the company continues to manage spending against intense competition.
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About the Author
Sahiba Sharma
Contributing Writer