Meta to lay off 5% of its ‘lowest performers,’ has plans to backfill positions later on
MANILA, Philippines – Facebook parent company Meta Platforms announced it was laying off 5% of what it called its “lowest performers” among the workforce, a company spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday, January 14.
A Bloomberg News report said the performance-based terminations will be followed later in the year by backfilling certain vacancies or positions.
The job cuts could affect some 3,600 workers out of its 72,000-person strong workforce.
Meta has cut at least 23,000 jobs in years previous, with 11,000 laid off in November 2022, while another 12,000 jobs were cut in March of 2023.
The push to make Meta a player in artificial intelligence, Reuters reports, may have also played a role in this, as the company has invested in AI-related infrastructure. Expenses for this initiative are expected to grow this year.
The news follows the company’s scrapping of its US fact-checking program and the loosening of rules around restricted speech on the platform, including regarding topics like immigration or gender identity. – Rappler.com