Meta has revealed plans to reduce its workforce by 5%, targeting its lowest-performing employees as the company gears up for what CEO Mark Zuckerberg described as an “intense year” in 2025.
The decision, confirmed through an internal memo shared with employees, underscores Meta’s strategy to streamline its operations in preparation for future challenges, particularly within AI, augmented reality, and social media technologies.
Meta, which employs over 72,000 people, will notify affected staff by February 10.
These layoffs mark the company’s most significant cuts since its major reduction of 21,000 jobs in 2022 and 2023, signaling a new phase in its performance management strategy.
The move comes amid broader operational changes aimed at reshaping the company’s approach to user content and aligning it with evolving political and social dynamics.
In his memo, Zuckerberg outlined the reasoning behind the decision, emphasizing the company’s focus on innovation and staying competitive.
“We’re working on some of the world’s most important technologies—AI, glasses as the next computing platform, and the future of social media,” Zuckerberg stated.
“This is going to be an intense year, and I want to make sure we have the best people on our teams.”
Meta is targeting its lowest-performing staffers as part of an aggressive push to elevate overall performance.
Zuckerberg clarified that the company will now accelerate its process of removing underperforming employees, explaining that cuts will occur more swiftly than in previous years.
However, the company reassured staff that generous severance packages would be provided, aligning with previous layoffs.
The company’s downsizing comes at a time when Meta is also rethinking its content moderation strategies.
Last week, Zuckerberg announced a shift away from the company’s third-party fact-checking program in favor of a “Community Notes” system, similar to the one used by Elon Musk’s X platform.
This initiative, which invites users to add context to posts, is part of Meta’s broader strategy to reduce content errors, simplify policies, and restore free expression across its platforms.
The social media giant said it would “allow more speech by lifting restrictions on some topics that are part of mainstream discourse and focusing our enforcement on illegal and high-severity violations” and “take a more personalized approach to political content”.
With 2025 looming large, Meta is positioning itself to remain agile in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
The performance cuts and operational shifts are aimed at reinforcing the company’s commitment to technological leadership while tackling mounting challenges in AI, content moderation, and user experience.
The company has also indicated that more guidance for managers will be provided ahead of performance reviews, with those affected by the cuts expected to be notified by mid-February.
Meta’s reshaping of its workforce marks a critical step in ensuring it has the right talent to navigate the uncertainties and demands of the coming year.
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