Meta to Lay Off 200 Employees in the Bay Area

Meta is set to reduce its workforce by approximately 200 employees in the San Francisco Bay Area. This move involves cutting 124 positions at the company’s Burlingame, California, location and another 74 in Sunnyvale. The layoffs are expected to take effect in late May, with the Burlingame reductions scheduled for May 22 and the Sunnyvale cuts following on May 29.

According to Meta’s official filing with the state of California, these positions will be permanently eliminated. This decision aligns with recent announcements regarding changes to Meta’s sales, recruitment teams, and the Reality Labs hardware division. Some employees impacted by this decision may be offered other roles within the company.

A spokesperson for Meta addressed the situation, stating, “Teams across Meta regularly undergo restructuring or changes to ensure we are best positioned to achieve our goals. Where possible, we are seeking alternative opportunities for employees whose positions may be affected.”

This staffing reduction follows earlier announcements where Meta disclosed plans for 700 layoffs, particularly affecting its recruitment and sales teams.

Despite these layoffs, Meta has indicated that it is still making substantial investments, anticipating capital expenditures of up to $135 billion this year. These include significant expenditures tied to artificial intelligence initiatives and infrastructure, with an estimated $600 billion targeted for building in the U.S. by 2028.

Interestingly, last month’s reports mentioned that Meta might cut more than 20% of its workforce as part of ongoing efforts to manage costs and foster efficiency through AI tools. At the start of the year, the company employed around 79,000 people.