Meta to Lay Off 5 Percent of ‘Lowest Performers’

The Facebook and Instagram apps on the screen of an iPhone in San Anselmo, Calif., on Oct. 4, 2021. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Meta plans to cut about 5 percent of its “lowest performers” and hire for the impacted roles this year, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also warned employees about more such job cuts this year to “raise the bar” on performance management, the spokesperson said.

The 5 percent reduction means roughly 3,600 employees will be let go.

The Facebook parent had a total workforce of more than 72,000 as of Sept. 30.

The social media company initiated several restructuring changes in 2022, resulting in around 11,000 job cuts.

Zuckerberg had also called 2023 the “Year of Efficiency” as Meta announced its decision to eliminate around 10,000 roles.

Last week, Zuckerberg said that Meta would end its third-party fact-checking program and instead use a model similar to Elon Musk’s “Community Notes” on his social media platform X.

“It’s time to get back to our roots around free expression on Facebook and Instagram,” he said in a video message. “The recent elections also feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech, so we’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms.”

As part of the change, Meta will lift restrictions on some mainstream topics and take a more “personalized approach” to political content.

Earlier this month, the company announced plans to scrap its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program. Meta will instead “focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background,” according to a spokesperson.

Last week, Zuckerberg met with President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, marking their second meeting since Trump’s November 2024 election victory.

The layoffs will be announced for U.S.-based staff on Feb. 10, and a little later for those outside the country.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News