Meta does more layoffs across Instagram, WhatsApp and more

Meta has again started laying off employees across various key departments, including WhatsApp , Instagram , and Reality Labs. However, it’s not a mass layoff but small cuts to make Meta more efficient in handling its operations.

Meta has faced a few challenges in the past couple of years, like slow growth and competition from other social media platforms.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg even previously mentioned that the company needs to streamline its operations and use its resources more effectively, calling 2023 “the year of efficiency.”

Unfortunately, the number of employees affected by the layoff isn’t public yet, but a Meta spokesperson talked to The Verge and stated the following,

Today, a few teams at Meta are making changes to ensure resources are aligned with their long-term strategic goals and location strategy. This includes moving some teams to different locations, and moving some employees to different roles. In situations like this when a role is eliminated, we work hard to find other opportunities for impacted employees.

Meta is firing employees left and right in a bid to become more efficient

A few of the Meta employees have already started posting about their layoffs. Among them is Jane Manchun Wong , who joined the Threads team in 2023.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Meta has laid off its employees. The first layoff happened in 2022, and it was a mass job cut that reduced Meta’s workforce by 21,000 employees.

In the first round in November 2022, Meta laid off around 11,000 employees, then another 10,000 in March 2023.

Regarding the matter, CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that he wants the company to be a “leaner org.”

A leaner org will execute its highest priorities faster. People will be more productive, and their work will be more fun and fulfilling. We will become an even greater magnet for the most talented people. That’s why in our Year of Efficiency, we are focused on canceling projects that are duplicative or lower priority and making every organization as lean as possible.

Unfortunately, after that came the third round of job cuts, which laid off another 6,000 employees, apparently saving billions of dollars.

This is Meta’s fifth layoff spree chronologically. While we don’t know the number yet, Meta is helping those who lost their jobs find other opportunities, which is likely the only silver lining in this scenario.

What are your thoughts on Meta’s layoffs and the reasoning? Do you think Meta really needed to lay off workers? Sound off in the comments below, or ping us on Twitter or Facebook .