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Meta is planning major layoffs in 2026 due to AI: Reports

Meta might axe at least 16,000 jobs this year due to its aggressive push on AI infrastructure.
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March 14, 2026 01:29 PM IST | Written by Staff Writer

Multi Trillion Dollar Tech Giant Meta is planning to layoff at least 20% of their staff to fund its Artificial Intelligence (AI) push and focus on greater efficiency through AI assisted workforce.

According to a Reuters report, Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is planning a major organizational restructuring due to their aggressive AI infrastructure push.

Meta has not made public the dates and magnitude of layoff and as per a spokesperson Andy Stone, the Reuters report is “speculative reporting about theoretical approaches.”

According to the latest Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings in December 2025, Meta had 78,865 employees. In 2022, Meta had hit a peak with 86, 482 employees but it laid off 11,000 staffers in November 2022. Meta’s global footprint spans North America, South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

The fear of a fresh round of layoffs comes even as Meta aggressively plans Generative AI push in its products especially WhatsApp.

Also Read: Meta Acquires Moltbook, Social Networking for AI Agents

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