Meta Initiates Global Layoffs, Affecting Employees Worldwide

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is set to initiate company-wide layoffs starting this week. As per the reports, the company will begin notifying employees at 5 AM PST today. Internal memos indicate that, in addition to the layoffs, Meta plans to accelerate the hiring of machine learning engineers. The layoffs are anticipated to affect workers in several countries, including the United States.

However, in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, employees will be exempted from these layoffs due to their respective labor laws. Nevertheless, workers in more than a dozen other countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa are set to receive their notices between February 11 and February 18.

Previously, Meta had confirmed it would trim around 5 percent of its staff with a focus on "lowest performers," with some roles to be reposted. In the memo, the company described the layoffs as "performance terminations," a term reported first by The Information.

Unlike previous rounds of layoffs, Meta has opted to keep its offices open on Monday and will not provide additional details regarding the decisions, according to a memo from Janelle Gale, Meta’s Head of People.

Another separate memo shared on Friday by Peng Fan, the VP of Engineering for Monetization at Meta, urged staff to back the accelerated hiring of machine learning engineers and other "business-critical" engineering positions. The program is scheduled for February 11 through March 13.

The wave of job cuts is not limited to Meta, as several major tech companies are also making reductions in 2025. Google, for instance, introduced a voluntary exit program for employees in its US Platforms and Devices division, impacting teams within Android and Pixel. The company, just like Meta, sent a memo to its team, stating, "This comes after we brought two large organisations together last year." It added, "There’s tremendous momentum in this team and with so much important work ahead, we want everyone to be deeply committed to our mission and focused on building great products, with speed and efficiency.”

In performance-based layoffs, Microsoft has further increased the layoff process, reportedly letting go of underperforming employees in some cases without severance. The affected employees by this round of layoffs experienced different outcomes as some indicated that they did not receive severance pay. As reported, at least three employees confirmed that they were informed they would not be compensated upon leaving the company. Moreover, their health care benefits were immediately cancelled, and questions have been raised regarding Microsoft's approach to the layoffs, particularly on financial and post-employment support.

The North America Stores team priorities contributed to the Amazon layoff that has had it send nearly 200 employees both in its lines of fashion and fitness. Actually, this streamlining is one step in this big picture about the company - it seeks more simplicity and efficiency by making fewer bureaucratic steps needed for something like a change within the company- in order for all teams there to serve people better.