Meta has started laying off around 8,000 employees globally as the company accelerates its shift toward artificial intelligence and internal restructuring.
The latest job cuts account for nearly 10 per cent of Meta’s workforce and are part of a broader effort led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg to reduce costs, flatten management structures and increase AI investments across the company. As the layoffs triggered fresh anxiety across the technology industry, attention also turned to the compensation and support being offered to affected employees.
What severance Meta employees will receive
According to a report by Business Insider, US employees impacted by the layoffs will receive severance packages equivalent to 16 weeks of base pay, along with an additional two weeks of salary for every year of continuous employment at the company. Meta will also provide 18 months of healthcare coverage for affected employees and their families.
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Employees outside the United States are expected to receive similar support packages, though the exact benefits will vary depending on local labour laws and regional employment policies.
The company has not publicly disclosed the total financial cost of the severance programme.
AI teams growing even as layoffs continue
Alongside the job cuts, Meta is simultaneously expanding its AI operations.
Chief People Officer Janelle Gale announced that more than 7,000 employees will be reassigned into newly created AI-focused teams as part of the restructuring exercise.
Combined, the layoffs and internal transfers are expected to affect nearly 20 per cent of Meta’s overall workforce. The company employed around 78,000 people globally at the end of March 2026.
In an internal memo cited by Reuters, Gale said the company is reorganising teams into smaller and faster-moving structures.
“We’re now at the stage where many orgs can operate with a flatter structure with smaller teams of pods/cohorts that can move faster and with more ownership,” Gale wrote.
Why Meta is cutting jobs again
The restructuring reflects Meta’s growing focus on artificial intelligence infrastructure and AI-powered products.
The company has projected capital expenditure of up to $145 billion this year, driven largely by new AI data centres, advanced computing systems and rising memory costs linked to generative AI development.
Industry analysts believe Meta is attempting to reposition itself aggressively in the global AI race against competitors including Microsoft, Google and OpenAI.
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Reports suggest additional job cuts may follow later in 2026, although the company has not confirmed timelines or the scale of future restructuring.
Tech industry layoffs continue to rise
Meta’s latest move also reflects a larger pattern unfolding across the global technology sector.
According to executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, technology companies recorded more than 52,000 layoffs during the first three months of 2026 — a 40 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. The report noted that AI-related restructuring alone accounted for nearly 25 per cent of technology layoffs in March, up sharply from 10 per cent in February.
Zuckerberg had earlier described Meta’s earlier restructuring phases in 2022 and 2023 as the company’s “year of efficiency,” during which more than 20,000 jobs were eliminated.
The latest round of layoffs suggests that Silicon Valley’s AI transformation is now entering a deeper phase, one where workforce restructuring is increasingly tied directly to automation and AI-driven business models.
