Meta has carried out layoffs across several teams, confirming the move in a statement to TechCrunch, citing a need to reassign resources company-wide. According to reports on social media, the recent layoffs appear to have disproportionately affected employees in several key areas, including Threads, recruitment, authorized operations, and design teams, as revealed by TechCrunch’s observation of online activity.
“A spokesperson for Meta stated in an email that the company is currently making adjustments across various groups to ensure its assets align with long-term strategic objectives and technical site capabilities.” This involves relocating certain teams to entirely new locations, while also reassigning specific employees to entirely novel positions. When a task is eliminated, we diligently seek alternative solutions to support affected employees.
Meta has declined to comment on the exact number of employees impacted by its latest restructuring efforts, leaving speculation surrounding the scope of the layoffs. A source close to the situation reveals that more than a dozen members of one team were suddenly let go via video conference call on Wednesday, with the layoffs having a profound impact on those affected. Workers laid off by Meta on Wednesday received six weeks’ worth of standard severance packages, consistent with industry norms. The employee spoke to TechCrunch anonymously about the sensitive situation.
Staff employed on Actuality Labs, Instagram, and WhatsApp have been further impacted by the redundancies, according to reports.
Recently, Meta has undertaken a significant restructuring effort, resulting in the reduction of a substantial portion of its staff, as part of an initiative to adapt to post-pandemic realities after a period of rapid and aggressive hiring during the pandemic. In 2022, Meta laid off approximately 11,000 employees, a significant downsizing that CEO Mark Zuckerberg directly addressed. In 2023, Meta withdrew approximately 5,000 unfilled job openings from its hiring pipeline, effectively canceling the positions.
