Meta's chief people officer Janelle Gale has informed employees that the company cannot rule out additional layoffs, even after announcing plans to cut approximately 10% of its workforce, amounting to 8,000 employees this month. According to a report by Business Insider, during an internal meeting, Gale acknowledged staff concerns following the May 20 announcement of 8,000 job cuts. When asked directly if more layoffs were coming, Gale stated: “I’d love to say that there are no more layoffs, but I can’t say something we can’t deliver. While the business is strong, priorities change, competition is fierce, and we will continue to manage our costs responsibly.”
Gale added that Meta would “continue to evolve teams as needed” and attempt to redeploy talent where possible, pointing to investments in the company’s Applied AI organization. She further noted that some departments would be affected more than others but did not specify which ones.
Meta CEO Zuckerberg: AI is Not Driving Layoffs
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed employees, stating that AI automation is not the primary reason behind the upcoming layoffs. However, he believes that AI has made small teams more efficient. He also explained Meta’s controversial plan to monitor employee keystrokes and mouse movements, clarifying that humans are not directly watching staff activity and that the data is abstracted to improve AI models.
HR Head Admits Layoffs Have Hurt Morale
Gale admitted that layoffs have negatively impacted morale but said Meta is striving to make the process “the best version possible.” She highlighted that the company has tripled COBRA healthcare coverage to 18 months for affected employees. Meta CFO Susan Li recently stated that she “doesn’t really know” the ideal size of the company’s workforce, which currently exceeds 77,000 employees.
Meanwhile, Meta AI Chief Alexandr Wang appeared at the meeting to showcase the company’s latest AI model, Spark, underscoring the firm's heavy investment in artificial intelligence. Meta has announced that its infrastructure spending will double this year to between $125 billion and $145 billion, largely to support AI initiatives.
