Meta Stock Rises 1.73% as Company Plans 8,000-Job Layoff Starting May 20

Gate News message, April 18 — Meta Platforms shares closed at $688.55, up $11.68 or 1.73%, even as reports indicated the company is preparing a significant workforce reduction. According to sources familiar with the plans, Meta intends to begin its first wave of layoffs on May 20, with the initial round targeting approximately 10% of its global workforce, or close to 8,000 employees. Additional cuts could follow later in the year, though details remain unfinalized.

Meta employed nearly 79,000 people as of December 31, 2025, according to its latest filing. The reported reduction would mark the company’s largest workforce cut since its late 2022 and early 2023 restructuring, when it eliminated about 21,000 positions during its “year of efficiency.” The company declined to comment on the timing or scale of the reported cuts, noting that executives may adjust plans as they assess evolving AI capabilities.

Meta is in a stronger financial position than during its previous restructuring phase. The company generated over $200 billion in revenue last year and posted a $60 billion profit while maintaining heavy AI spending. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has directed substantial investments toward artificial intelligence, including a recent reorganization that moved engineers into a newly created Applied AI organization focused on building autonomous AI agents. The company also reshaped its Reality Labs division and created Meta Small Business as part of the broader restructuring.

Meta’s stock advance despite the layoff report reflects investor focus on margins, cost discipline, and long-term AI positioning rather than near-term headcount concerns. The move aligns with broader industry trends: Amazon has cut approximately 30,000 corporate roles recently, while Block reduced its workforce by nearly half in February. According to reports, 73,212 technology workers have lost jobs in 2026 so far, compared to 153,000 for all of 2024.