Mark Zuckerberg Plans to Lay Off an Additional 5% of Meta Employees

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to cut an additional 5% of his workforce as part of ongoing efforts to restructure the company.

Meta Prepares for Massive Layoffs

Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, is gearing up for a significant round of layoffs, according to Bloomberg. In an internal memo, the CEO mentioned plans to dismiss around 5% of employees labeled as “underperformers”.

Shift Towards Stringent Performance Management

In the memo, Zuckerberg stated: “I have decided to elevate our performance management level and to part ways more swiftly with underperformers. Typically, we manage those who do not meet our standards throughout the year, but now we will make more substantial cuts based on performance in this cycle.”

Impact on Staff Numbers

The layoffs could reduce Meta’s workforce by 10%, once natural departures are considered, Bloomberg suggests. Those targeted would be long-term employees who have undergone performance evaluations.

Between layoffs and natural staff turnover, about 7,000 Meta employees might soon exit the company. This follows a series of layoffs that began in late 2022, affecting over 20,000 workers. Additionally, the company recently dismissed 60 technical program managers earlier this month.

An Unusual Year for Meta

The year has been unusual for Meta. Only halfway through January, Zuckerberg has already ended third-party fact-checking on Meta platforms, appointed UFC CEO Dana White to Meta’s board, and visited Mar-a-Lago. Moreover, the company has adjusted its “Hate Content” policy, making it, according to some, more lenient towards homophobes, and it has been revealed that Instagram had shadowbanned common LGBTQ+ hashtags.