Meta reportedly planning 20% workforce cut in historic layoff round
Meta is planning workforce reductions that could eliminate up to 20 percent of its staff, according to a Reuters report citing company sources.
The potential cuts would represent one of the largest layoffs in the social media giant’s history. Meta employed 78,865 people as of December 31, 2025. The company generated nearly $60 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter and more than $200 billion for the full year.
Neither a specific timeline nor the exact number of layoffs has been finalized, Reuters reported. Meta’s top executives have instructed senior leaders to begin planning for the reductions, the outlet said.
A Meta spokesperson told Reuters the report amounted to “speculative reporting about theoretical approaches.”
Meta has executed multiple workforce reductions in recent years. The company laid off approximately 1,000 employees from its Reality Labs division earlier this year. In early 2022, Meta cut about five percent of its workforce following a smaller round of layoffs.
The company has simultaneously pursued acquisitions in the artificial intelligence sector. Meta purchased Moltbook, a social network for AI agents, and Manus, a startup developing AI agents for task automation. The spending on AI startups comes as Meta expands its AI capabilities, including new tools to detect celebrity impersonators launched earlier this month.
Meta’s Reality Labs division, which handles virtual reality and metaverse development, has been a repeated target for cost-cutting. The division has struggled to achieve profitability despite significant investment.