Trending Now - Meta Cuts 700 Jobs as Focus Shifts From Metaverse to AI
WHO:
Andrew Bosworth, Meta's CTO, is taking over the company's "AI for Work" initiative.
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta
Andrew Bosworth, CTO of Meta
Susan Li, CFO of Meta
Javier Olivan, COO of Meta
Chris Cox, CPO of Meta
WHAT:
Meta laid off hundreds of employees on March 25th, 2026, with cuts impacting the Reality Labs division, recruiting, sales, and Facebook.
A Meta spokesperson stated, “Teams across Meta regularly restructure or implement changes to ensure they’re in the best position to achieve their goals. Where possible, we are finding other opportunities for employees whose positions may be impacted.”
Meta is reorganizing its Reality Labs division into AI-native "pods" focused on specific outcomes, which will flatten the leadership structure.
The restructuring aims to drive a step change in engineering productivity and product quality, according to a leaked memo.
Meta laid off around 700 employees on March 25th, 2026, with cuts primarily affecting the Reality Labs division, as well as recruiting, sales, and Facebook.
Meta's layoffs on March 25th, 2026, were part of a broader trend in Big Tech, where AI investments are leading to job cuts.
Meta's stock price was reported to be down about 9% in 2026 and more than 4% over the past 12 months.
Meta's workforce was nearly 79,000 at the end of 2025, indicating that the recent layoffs reflect a small percentage of its total employees.
Meta's layoffs on March 25th, 2026, affected employees across five divisions, including Reality Labs, Facebook, recruiting, sales, and global operations.
Meta's stock was up by more than 1% early on March 25th, 2026.
Since 2023, AI has been cited for 12,304 job cut announcements across various companies, accounting for 8% of total layoffs.
Meta laid off around 700 employees on March 25th, 2026.
The layoffs affected employees in the Reality Labs unit, recruiting, sales, and Facebook divisions.
The Reality Labs division has lost over $70 billion since the beginning of 2021.
Meta's workforce was approximately 79,000 at the end of 2025.
Meta plans to spend $600 billion on data centers by 2028.
Executives could receive up to $2.7 billion each under new pay packages.
WHERE:
Meta's operations are based in the United States and other international markets.
WHEN:
Layoffs occurred on March 25th, 2026.
Previous layoffs in January 2026 resulted in over 1,000 job losses.
WHY:
The layoffs reflect a broader trend across Big Tech, where costly AI investments are leading to job cuts.
The layoffs are part of a shift in focus from the metaverse to artificial intelligence.
Meta is restructuring to offset costly investments in AI infrastructure.
HOW:
The new structure will consist of small groups of AI builders, with each pod focused on specific outcomes and often working across disciplines.
Meta is reorganizing its Reality Labs division into AI-native "pods" focused on specific outcomes, which will flatten the leadership structure.
Meta is promoting the use of AI internally, with a focus on increasing adoption of AI tools among its employees.
Meta is implementing cost-cutting plans and restructuring teams to achieve operational efficiency.
Employees were informed of layoffs through LinkedIn posts and internal communications.
(UPDATED March 26, 2026 05:31 UTC)
On March 25, 2026, Meta laid off hundreds of employees, particularly affecting its Reality Labs division, recruiting, sales, and Facebook. A spokesperson for Meta explained that the company regularly restructures to better achieve its goals and is seeking opportunities for those impacted by the layoffs. The reorganization will introduce AI-native "pods" that consist of small groups of builders focused on specific outcomes, aiming to enhance engineering productivity and product quality.
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(UPDATED March 26, 2026 03:51 UTC)
On March 25, 2026, Meta laid off around 700 employees, primarily impacting its Reality Labs division, as well as recruiting, sales, and Facebook, reflecting a broader trend in Big Tech where AI investments are leading to job cuts. The company's stock price has dropped about 9% this year and more than 4% over the past 12 months, despite its workforce being nearly 79,000 at the end of 2025, indicating that these layoffs represent a small percentage of its total employees. As part of this restructuring, Meta is reorganizing its Reality Labs division into AI-native "pods" focused on specific outcomes, which will also flatten the leadership structure.
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(UPDATED March 26, 2026 01:20 UTC)
Meta's Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, is now leading the company's "AI for Work" initiative as part of a broader strategy to promote AI adoption among employees. On March 25, 2026, Meta announced layoffs that impacted five divisions, including Reality Labs and Facebook, while the company's stock rose by more than 1% on the same day. Since 2023, AI has been linked to over 12,000 job cuts across various companies, highlighting a trend in Big Tech where significant investments in AI are resulting in workforce reductions.
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(UPDATED March 26, 2026 00:28 UTC)
Meta Platforms, Inc. laid off around 700 employees on March 25, 2026, primarily affecting its Reality Labs unit, recruiting, sales, and Facebook divisions. This move comes as the company shifts focus from the metaverse to artificial intelligence, following previous layoffs in January that resulted in over 1,000 job losses. As part of its restructuring efforts, Meta plans to spend $600 billion on data centers by 2028, while executives could receive up to $2.7 billion each under new pay packages.