Meta is back with a third round of layoffs, marking the latest chapter in its ongoing workforce cuts. The recent layoffs reportedly target Meta's Family of Apps, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Threads, along with its Reality Labs division.
Unlike the sweeping company-wide cuts in 2023, dubbed by Mark Zuckerberg as the "year of efficiency,” that had resulted in massive public backlash for the tech giant, these more targeted layoffs appear to coincide with team reorganisations.
In 2022, Meta had laid off over 11,000 employees, followed by another 10,000 cuts in 2023. This time, the layoffs are on a much smaller scale, though the exact number remains unclear as Meta has not confirmed the figures yet.
One of the employees impacted by Meta's latest layoffs is Jane Manchun Wong, a Computer Science graduate from Massachusetts University and former Threads team engineer. She shared her experience on social media earlier today, posting on both X and Threads.
“I’m still trying to process this, but I’m informed that my role at Meta has been impacted. Thank you, to everyone, especially my Threads and Instagram teammates, for my wild journey at Meta. If anyone is interested in working together esp. on software/security engineering, please reach out via my email, LinkedIn, etc noted on my website,” Wong said in her post.
Wong had gained popularity for reporting on unannounced features coming to apps before joining the Threads team in 2023 for which she even got featured on the 30 Under 30 list by Forbes USA.
Recent reports suggest that Meta is making changes to align its resources with long-term strategic goals and location plans. This restructuring involves shifting teams to new locations, reassigning some employees to different roles, and eliminating certain positions, which will inevitably lead to layoffs for some others. These changes aim to optimise the company’s operations while adjusting its workforce.
Mark had emphasised in March 2023 the need for the company to operate more efficiently with a streamlined workforce. "A leaner organisation will execute its top priorities faster," he noted. "People will be more productive, and their work will be more enjoyable and fulfilling," he added.
Tech layoffs have increasingly dominated headlines, becoming almost daily news in recent years. In August alone, over 25,000 employees were laid off from tech companies, according to the layoff tracker Layoffs.fyi.
A comparison of layoffs at Meta and Google shows that both tech giants have been slowing their hiring rates in recent years. At Meta, over 38% of employees added since 2019 have been laid off within the past year. Google, meanwhile, has only recently entered its era of reduced hiring and increased firing, letting go of 7,732 employees as of December 31, 2023.
