Meta to ax 8,000 jobs as Zuckerberg doubles down on AI and white-collar bloodbath picks up

Mark Zuckerberg-led Meta has confirmed it plans to slash about 8,000 jobs — roughly 10% of its workforce — informing employees of the sweeping cuts on Thursday.The Facebook parent disclosed the layoffs in a staff memo, signaling that the company is moving ahead with a massive workforce reduction as it pours billions into artificial intelligence.The cuts were expected to take effect May 20, with another 6,000 open roles that Meta previously planned to fill getting eliminated.“I know this is unwelcome news and confirming this puts everyone in an uneasy state, but we feel this is the best path forward, given the circumstances,” Chief People Officer Janelle Gale wrote in the memo obtained by Bloomberg News.Gale said the layoffs are part of an effort to “run the company more efficiently” while offsetting the heavy investments Meta is making in AI.Meta said affected employees will receive severance that includes at least 16 weeks of base pay plus an additional two weeks for every year of service, along with extended health coverage and career support as they exit the company.The Post has sought comment from Meta.The announcement confirms earlier reporting that the tech giant was preparing deep cuts as it reshapes its business around next-generation computing and automation.Meta had nearly 79,000 employees at the start of the year, and the latest reductions rank among the biggest in the company’s history.The tech giant already trimmed headcount in recent months, including layoffs in its Reality Labs division and cuts targeting lower-performing staff.Zuckerberg has been ramping up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure, including data centers, servers and advanced models designed to compete with rivals.He has made clear that AI will fundamentally reshape the company’s workforce, saying earlier this year: “I think 2026 is going to be the year that AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work.”Internally, employees have been encouraged...