Meta, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, plans to cut around 5% of its global workforce, with the worst performers most likely to leave.
In a memo to employees, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that ahead of what he described as a “tumultuous year,” he had decided to “fire poor performers faster” and reduce the company's normal said to accelerate its performance management system. .
Meta employed 72,000 people worldwide at the end of September, according to its latest financial report, and the planned job cuts could affect as many as 3,600 employees. The company plans to hire a new person to fill the role later this year.
The announcement comes days after Meta announced it would eliminate third-party fact checkers and prioritize free speech as President Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House. We are also ending our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program.
U.S. Meta employees affected by the layoffs will be notified by February 10, while employees in other countries will be notified at a later date.
In the memo, first reported by Bloomberg, Zuckerberg wrote that he had “decided to raise the bar on performance management.”
“We typically spend a year removing people who don't meet expectations, but this time we plan to make broader performance-based reductions during this cycle.”
The 40-year-old billionaire added: “It's going to be an intense year. I want to make sure we have the best talent in the team.”
Terminations will only include staff who have worked for Meta for a sufficient period of time to qualify for performance review.
Zuckerberg said the company will “offer generous severance benefits” to those who lose their jobs, similar to previous layoffs.
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Meta stock fell 2.3% on Tuesday, continuing a decline that started the day before.
The company drew widespread criticism for its decision to remove its fact checker, which flags misleading content, in favor of notes from other users. Commentators said there is potential for misinformation and harmful content to flow on Meta's platform.
Like many other technology companies, Meta is pouring money into artificial intelligence projects, and Zuckerberg said it would focus on “some of the most important technologies in the world,” including AI.
