Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other technology divisions, is set to initiate company-wide layoffs starting Monday, February 10, according to an internal memo reported by Reuters. While these job cuts will commence next week, Meta also intends to accelerate the hiring of machine learning (ML) engineers, as indicated in the memo shared with employees. A spokesperson for Meta did not respond to inquiries regarding the layoffs.
According to the report, which references a post by Janelle Gale, Head of People at Meta, affected employees will begin receiving notifications at 5 am local time in most countries, including the United States. However, employees in France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands will be exempt from these layoffs due to local labor laws. Additionally, more than a dozen employees in Africa, Europe, and Asia will receive termination notices between February 11 and 18. Gale also mentioned that, unlike previous layoffs, Meta’s offices will remain open on February 10.
In a separate memo, Peng Fan, VP of Engineering for Monetization at Meta, urged employees to assist with an expedited hiring process for machine learning engineers and other critical engineering roles. This hiring initiative is expected to take place from February 11 to March 13, with Fan expressing gratitude for employees’ support in achieving the company’s accelerated hiring objectives for 2025.
Earlier in January, Bloomberg reported that Meta Platforms plans to cut approximately 5% of its workforce, equating to around 3,600 jobs, based on performance evaluations. Affected employees were informed that they would receive notifications by February 10. In his memo to employees, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster… We typically manage out people who aren’t meeting expectations over the course of a year, but now we’re going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle.” He clarified that only employees eligible for performance reviews would be included in these cuts and assured that Meta would provide generous severance packages consistent with previous layoffs. As of September 2024, Meta employed nearly 72,000 individuals, meaning a 5% reduction would impact at least 3,600 jobs.
