Meta to Lay Off 3,600 Staff Members Amid Push for Higher Performance Standards
Meta is preparing to cut about 5% of its workforce, targeting the company’s lowest-performing employees. CEO Mark Zuckerberg informed staff about the decision through a memo on Meta’s internal Workplace forum, explaining that 2025 would be a particularly “intense year” for the company.
This move is part of Meta’s effort to “move out low performers faster” and ensure the company is well-prepared for future challenges. With more than 72,000 employees, the layoffs will affect around 3,600 people, and the company aims to notify affected employees by February 10.
META BRACES FOR MASSIVE LAYOFFS IN 2025
Zuckerberg is cutting 5% of Meta’s workforce—around 3,600 employees—as part of a crackdown on low performers.
The layoffs will be finalized by February 10, with severance promised for affected staff.
Meta says the cuts are necessary to… pic.twitter.com/v5ekdu6qxj
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 14, 2025
This marks Meta’s largest workforce reduction since eliminating 21,000 jobs in 2022 and 2023, representing a significant strategic shift as the company restructures for the coming year. A company director further confirmed the layoffs in a separate message, adding that severance packages will be provided in line with previous offers.
The cuts, first reported by Bloomberg, highlight Meta’s ongoing efforts to streamline its operations and focus on higher performance standards amidst changing policies and market conditions.
“I’ve made the decision to raise the standards for performance management and exit low performers more quickly,” Mark Zuckerberg stated in an internal memo. “In the past, we usually managed out employees who weren’t meeting expectations over the span of a year, but this time we’ll be implementing more significant performance-based cuts during this cycle.”
The planned layoffs at Meta come amid significant and controversial changes to its policies and operations. The company has loosened content moderation rules, allowing more leniency on politically charged topics, sparking internal backlash over concerns for marginalized groups.
Meta’s “low performer” layoffs mask reality: They’re cutting costs after $47B metaverse gamble failed. Real efficiency comes from vision, not downsizing.
— think different | kolin (@thinkdifferent1) January 14, 2025
Meta also ended its third-party fact-checking program in the U.S., raising fears of increased misinformation. Additionally, the company scaled back diversity initiatives, drawing criticism for shifting priorities. Despite these cuts, Meta continues to invest in its metaverse ambitions and Twitter rival Threads, though both projects have faced challenges, including financial losses and declining user engagement.
This announcement follows Meta’s ongoing efforts to restructure company policies in the wake of US President-Elect Donald Trump’s victory. Over the past year, Meta has already laid off thousands of employees as part of what Zuckerberg called the “Year of Efficiency,” which focused on reducing costs, optimizing teams, and streamlining operations to enhance profitability.
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