Catenaa, Thursday, January 16, 2025 – Meta said it had planned to cut about 3,600 jobs, equivalent to 5% of its global workforce.
This comes as CEO Mark Zuckerberg moves to accelerate performance reviews and “raise the bar” for employees in 2025.
In a memo to staff, Zuckerberg announced a shift in Meta’s performance management strategy, aimed at quickly phasing out underperforming employees ahead of what he called an “intense year.”
The company, which employed 72,000 people as of September, will hire replacements for some roles later this year.
Affected employees in the US will be notified by February 10, with global notifications to follow.
Those let go will receive “generous severance,” Zuckerberg said, aligning with previous layoffs.
Meta’s decision comes days after it announced the end of third-party fact-checking programs, a move linked to prioritizing free speech as Donald Trump prepares to reenter the White House.
The company has also scrapped its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, drawing criticism for potentially enabling the spread of misinformation.
Despite the layoffs, Meta remains focused on advancing artificial intelligence and other critical technologies.
“This is going to be an intense year, and I want to make sure we have the best people on our teams,” Zuckerberg said.
Meta’s shares fell 2.3% on Tuesday, extending losses from earlier in the week amid mounting scrutiny over its policy shifts and workforce reductions.
