Meta Inc. plans to cut about 5% of its workforce this year with the aim of weeding out underperforming employees, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Tuesday. .
In a memo to employees posted on Meta's internal bulletin board, Mr. Zuckerberg indicated that the company plans to hire new employees to replace those who were laid off this year.
The heads of Facebook and Instagram have scrapped fact-checking on their social media networks, sparking a backlash in what was seen as a move aimed at currying favor with the incoming Trump administration, but Meta has announced more resources. He said he expected an “intense year” with the pouring in. in AI and other important projects.
“We have decided to raise the bar on performance management and fire poor performers sooner,” Zuckerberg said in the memo. First obtained by Bloomberg.
Zuckerberg added: “Typically, we take a year to manage people who don't meet expectations, and we will now make large-scale performance-based reductions during this cycle.”
Meta will “offer generous severance benefits” to affected workers, Zuckerberg added.
The company plans to notify U.S.-based employees affected by the layoffs on February 10 after a performance review.
The exact number of workers expected to be forcibly laid off was not immediately clear.
However, Meta had about 72,000 employees as of September last year, and a 5% reduction could result in the loss of about 3,600 jobs.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the memo but declined to comment further.
Meta had previously cut thousands of jobs in 2023, which Zuckerberg called “the year of efficiency.” The tightening measures included significant cuts in middle management positions.
The latest cuts are part of an ongoing reorganization at Meta that has been rolling out over the past few weeks.
Meta announced last week that it was discontinuing its DEI-focused efforts.
Elsewhere, Meta has appointed Republican Joel Kaplan as its top policy director.
During a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Zuckerberg claimed that elements of corporate America have become “culturally neutralized” and that he wants more “masculine energy” in the workplace. argued that it was necessary.
