Meta has announced a significant workforce reduction, planning to lay off approximately 10% of its employees, equating to around 8,000 staff members. These cuts are part of a strategic pivot to heavily invest resources into artificial intelligence (AI) development. Furthermore, the social media giant is canceling plans to fill 6,000 existing open roles. The announcement caused Meta's stock to decline by about 2.4% in midday trading. Separately, CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently defended the company in a major lawsuit regarding social media addiction.
Meta announced plans to reduce its workforce by 10%, affecting approximately 8,000 employees, as the company strategically redirects resources toward artificial intelligence (AI) development.
According to an internal memo distributed to employees on Thursday, Meta confirmed significant restructuring measures:
The news of the layoffs and hiring freeze impacted Meta's stock performance shortly after the announcement. Following the internal memo, Meta shares reportedly dropped by about 2.4% during midday trading, settling at $658.40.
Separately, CEO Mark Zuckerberg was recently involved in legal proceedings, appearing at the Federal Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles on February 19, 2026, to defend the company in a major lawsuit concerning social media addiction.