New Delhi: Meta Platforms has started a fresh round of layoffs affecting nearly 8,000 employees, close to 10 per cent of its global workforce, as the company restructures operations around artificial intelligence (AI).
Employees in several regions, including the United States and Britain, were reportedly instructed to work from home before layoff emails began arriving. According to reports, the first notifications were sent to employees at Meta's Singapore office during the early hours of the morning.
A report by Bloomberg stated that affected staff in Singapore received emails around 4 am local time. Layoff notices are reportedly being issued in phases based on different time zones.
Company restructuring around AI
Before the latest job cuts, Meta employed around 78,000 people globally. Along with layoffs, the company is also reorganising teams and reducing management layers.
In an internal memo, Meta's Chief People Officer Janelle Gale said around 7,000 employees would be reassigned to new AI-focused teams, while nearly 6,000 open job positions had been removed.
She said the company aims to operate with a flatter structure and smaller teams capable of moving faster and taking greater responsibility.
Engineering and product divisions are expected to face the biggest impact, with reports suggesting that more layoffs may take place later this year.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has identified AI as the company's top priority. The company plans to spend between USD 125 billion and USD 145 billion this year, largely towards AI-related investments.
Internal concerns among employees
Meta had confirmed the layoffs last month after details reportedly leaked internally. Reports suggested employee morale had fallen sharply following the announcement.
Some employees were also said to be concerned over reports of a new internal tool allegedly tracking mouse movements and keyboard activity to help train AI systems. The development reportedly led to internal opposition, with more than 1,000 employees signing a petition against the monitoring system.
Many employees reportedly felt the work-from-home instruction helped the company carry out layoffs quietly without large gatherings or protests inside offices.
Layoffs continue across tech sector
The trend is not limited to Meta. Several major technology companies have announced layoffs or workforce reductions in recent months.
Cisco Systems reportedly cut around 4,000 jobs recently, while companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Disney and ASML have also announced layoffs or voluntary exit programmes.
In April, Oracle reportedly laid off between 20,000 and 30,000 employees through email notifications sent across different regions.
Experts call it a long-term shift
Dipal Dutta, CEO of RedoQ, said the ongoing workforce changes in the technology sector are part of a larger structural transformation rather than a temporary slowdown.
According to him, the rise of generative AI and automated workflows has reduced the need for many routine technology and operational roles.
He said companies are now placing greater value on professionals who can design and manage complex AI-driven systems instead of performing repetitive tasks.
Dutta added that the future technology workforce will require skills focused on system design, AI integration and large-scale problem-solving.