Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is set to conduct another round of layoffs starting February 10, while simultaneously increasing hiring for machine learning engineers and other AI-driven roles. Internal memos confirm that termination notices will be sent out beginning Monday, with the cuts impacting approximately 5% of Meta's workforce. Meta's Head of People, Janelle Gale, stated that affected employees in the United States and most other regions would begin receiving notifications from 5 a.m. local time on Monday. However, Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands will be exempt due to local labor laws. Employees in over a dozen other European, Asian, and African countries will receive updates between February 11 and February 18. Unlike previous large-scale layoffs, Meta's offices will remain open, and no company-wide updates are expected on the day of termination. The company will notify impacted workers via their work and personal email addresses and lose access to company systems within an hour. Terminated employees will receive severance package information in their notification emails and will retain their February 15 stock vesting and bonus eligibility if applicable.

The latest round of job reductions follows Meta's confirmation last month that it plans to trim about 5% of its workforce, targeting employees deemed 'lowest performers'. The memo, in which Gale referred to the cuts as 'performance terminations,' was first reported by The Information. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced to "raise the bar on performance management" and quickly "move out low-performers,". Meta has not provided details on the number of employees affected. However, reports suggest that the technology giant is firing 3,600 employees. Meta has been restructuring its workforce over the past two years, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasizing a shift toward AI and automation to remain competitive against OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft. Zuckerberg wrote in one of the internal messages, “Meta is working on building some of the most important technologies of the world. AI, glasses as the next computing platform and the future of social media. This is going to be an intense year, and I want to make sure we have the best people on our teams".

While the layoffs impact several teams, Meta is ramping up hiring for AI-focused roles. In a separate memo, Peng Fan, VP of Engineering for Monetization, urged staff to support an expedited recruitment process for machine learning engineers and other key AI positions. The hiring push is expected to take place between February 11 and March 13, as the company shifts focus toward AI-driven innovation and automation. With over half a billion Meta devices in use globally, the company is doubling down on machine learning, content moderation, and AI-powered advertising solutions to boost efficiency and revenue. The company intends to replace the outgoing employees with new hires later this year. Affected employees cannot apply for internal positions during their non-working period but may reapply to Meta after their final employment date. "Past performance will be considered while making a hiring decision," Gale noted.

Meta has yet to issue an official statement regarding the latest round of layoffs, but the simultaneous downsizing and AI-focused hiring push signals a broader strategy of restructuring for efficiency and long-term AI dominance. The company does not plan to issue company-wide communications when notifications are complete. Managers will work with their leaders to provide clarity about organizational changes, though Gale acknowledged they "might not yet have all the answers to your questions". Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce reportedly planned or made layoffs during the first weeks of 20252. It was reported Tuesday (Feb. 4) that Salesforce is eliminating over 1,000 jobs while hiring staff to sell its artificial intelligence products. Workers who are displaced will be able to apply for other roles within the company.