Meta layoffs: 3,600 to lose jobs as Mark Zuckerberg targets low performers

Meta layoffs: The decision, shared in an internal memo by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, focusses on improving overall performance by moving out those not meeting expectations more quickly than before.
Meta Platforms Inc. has announced plans to cut about 5% of its lowest-performing employees this year, reported Bloomberg. The decision, shared in an internal memo by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, focusses on improving overall performance by moving out those not meeting expectations more quickly than before.
By September, Meta's workforce stood at approximately 72,000 employees. If the company were to implement a 5% cut in jobs, it could result in the loss of around 3,600 positions.
In the memo, Zuckerberg said, “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low performers faster. We typically manage out people who aren’t meeting expectations over the course of a year, but now we’re going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle.”
The planned reduction, according to the memo, is part of Meta's effort to achieve 10% "non-regrettable" attrition by the end of the current performance cycle. This includes around 5% from 2024 alone. Employees who have been with Meta long enough to receive a performance review and are deemed underperforming will be impacted.
The company assured affected employees that they would receive “generous severance.”
This announcement comes as Meta continues to restructure its policies and operations under Zuckerberg’s "Year of Efficiency" initiative, which was launched to optimise costs and streamline the organisation.
Over the past year, Meta has already laid off thousands of employees, focusing on team realignment and cutting costs to enhance profitability.
The layoffs coincide with several strategic and policy shifts at Meta, some of which have sparked internal and external discussions. Meta recently made changes to its content moderation policies, loosening rules on posts related to controversial topics such as immigration and transgender rights. The company framed these changes as a step towards encouraging "free expression." However, the move faced criticism from employees and external groups, who expressed concerns about potential harm to marginalised communities. The company also announced the end of its third-party fact-checking programme in the United States. This decision raised fears about the possible spread of misinformation on Meta’s platforms, especially given its influence on public discourse. Meta has reduced internal programmes aimed at improving workforce diversity. The scaling back of these initiatives has drawn criticism, with some viewing it as a departure from its previously stated commitment to inclusivity.