Meta Slashes Hundreds of Jobs Across Five Divisions
Meta began laying off hundreds of employees Wednesday, affecting its Reality Labs virtual reality division and at least four other divisions.
Meta begins laying off hundreds of employees across five divisions
Meta Platforms began laying off hundreds of employees on Wednesday in a sweeping round of cuts that affected at least five divisions within the company. Among the hardest hit was Reality Labs, the division responsible for the company's virtual reality and augmented reality hardware and software, which has been a costly centerpiece of CEO Mark Zuckerberg's long-term vision for the metaverse. The layoffs also extended to teams across Instagram, WhatsApp, and other key parts of the business.
The cuts come as Meta continues to balance aggressive investments in artificial intelligence and mixed reality technology with ongoing efforts to streamline operations and reduce costs. Reality Labs has drawn scrutiny from investors for years due to its enormous losses, which have totaled tens of billions of dollars since the division began reporting separate financial results. Despite those losses, Zuckerberg has repeatedly signaled his commitment to building next-generation computing platforms centered around virtual and augmented reality.
Affected employees were notified on Wednesday and offered severance packages, according to people familiar with the matter. The layoffs spanned multiple offices and geographic locations, reflecting the broad scope of the restructuring. Meta confirmed the cuts in a statement, noting that the company was making changes to ensure teams were aligned with its long-term strategic priorities and that some roles were being eliminated as part of ongoing organizational adjustments.
The latest round of job reductions adds to the tens of thousands of positions Meta has already eliminated over the past two years as part of what Zuckerberg previously dubbed a "year of efficiency." While the company has since reported strong revenue growth driven by its advertising business and AI initiatives, the continued layoffs signal that Meta is not finished reshaping its workforce. Industry analysts say the moves reflect a broader trend among major technology companies seeking to cut costs in some areas while redirecting resources toward artificial intelligence development.