Meta cuts 8,000 jobs (10% of workforce) in May while doubling AI spending to $115–135 billion annually

Meta's chief people officer Janelle Gale announced the company will eliminate approximately 8,000 positions in May and close 6,000 open job roles, representing a 10 percent reduction of its total headcount.

The layoffs follow Meta's massive investments in AI infrastructure: the company is raising annual capital spending from $72.22 billion (2025) to $115–135 billion (2026) to build data centers and hire specialized talent for AI development—a shift that signals the company is prioritizing AI over traditional social media operations.

If you work in tech or depend on Meta services: hiring freezes typically precede product slowdowns and delayed feature releases, so expect fewer new capabilities on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in the near term. If you're job-hunting in engineering or product roles, Meta is no longer a growth-hiring target for 2025.

Watch for concrete AI announcements in May 2025 (when layoffs take effect) and at Meta Connect conferences—these cuts suggest the company is betting that smaller, more focused teams can deliver the AI breakthroughs it has promised to investors.