Meta has announced plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 5%, targeting what it considers its “lowest performers.” The company intends to fill these positions later in the year. This move could result in the loss of around 3,600 jobs, based on Meta’s most recent quarterly report, which indicated a total of 72,000 employees as of September.
In an internal memo, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low performers faster.” A company spokesperson later confirmed the details of the memo.
Mark Zuckerberg explained in a memo that while Meta usually manages underperforming employees over the course of a year, it will now implement more aggressive performance-based layoffs during this cycle.
This announcement comes amid a period of significant changes at Meta. Just two weeks ago, the company appointed a prominent Republican as its new top policy executive. The following week, Meta revealed it was ending its third-party fact-checking programs in the U.S. and revising its hateful conduct policies. Under the new guidelines, certain types of previously banned content, like referring to “women as household objects” or using derogatory terms for transgender and non-binary individuals, will now be allowed on Meta platforms.
Additionally, Meta discontinued its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs just days ago. On the same day, Zuckerberg appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast, stating that these shifts had been in the works for some time and that he believed excessive content moderation and fact-checking had eroded trust in the platform.
Zuckerberg also reflected on the aftermath of the 2016 election, admitting that he had been overly influenced by media claims about misinformation and its impact on Donald Trump’s victory.
Critics argue that these policy changes may be an attempt to align with President-elect Trump and his administration.
Meta has faced significant layoffs since the COVID-19 pandemic, including 11,000 job cuts in November 2022 and more in the following year.