"I think this makes the company better. I’m not going to be apologetic for it,” Zuckerberg said. “And I think most people here want to work with people who are going to be better fits.”
The layoffs, which affect employees across the US, Europe and Asia, come after Zuckerberg previously warned staff that performance expectations would rise.
Earlier this year, he signalled that Meta would be raising the bar in employee evaluations, a move that many now see as foreshadowing the cuts.
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However, the reality of the layoffs has left many ex-employees frustrated. Across blogs and social media, former Meta workers have shared their experiences, with some claiming they had received positive performance reviews before being let go.
The job cuts are part of Zuckerberg’s broader plan to streamline the company’s operations in what he has dubbed Meta’s “year of efficiency.”
This strategy has been well received by investors, with Meta’s stock price surging and adding over $1 trillion to the company’s market valuation.
Despite Wall Street’s confidence in the move, industry analysts suggest another motivation for the layoffs: funding Meta’s artificial intelligence ambitions.
As AI competition intensifies, Meta is looking to bolster its resources to keep pace with rivals such as Google and OpenAI. Cost-cutting measures, including workforce reductions, appear to be a significant part of this effort.
Meanwhile, the broader tech industry continues to grapple with job losses. According to the U.S. Labor Department, nearly 10,000 positions were eliminated in January within the information and professional business services sectors.
A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the latest layoffs, but with the company pushing aggressively toward AI advancements and operational efficiency, it’s clear that Zuckerberg remains committed to reshaping Meta’s workforce—regardless of the backlash.
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