Meta Lays Off 8,000 Globally; Singapore Office First to Receive Notices

(CNA, New York, 20th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Meta has begun laying off approximately 8,000 employees globally, representing about 10% of its total workforce. The move comes as Meta co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is aggressively pushing to redirect resources toward ambitious artificial intelligence (AI) projects. AFP, citing Bloomberg, reported that Meta began sending out notification letters in the early morning, with employees in its Singapore office being among the first to receive the news. The Straits Times reported that employees in Singapore received email notifications at 4 a.m. local time on May 20. Subsequently, employees in the UK, US, and other regions also received layoff notices in the early morning of May 20 in their respective time zones. Meta's Singapore branch did not respond to queries about the specific number of employees affected, but according to former employees, more than 100 positions were cut in Singapore in this wave. AFP reported that in addition to cutting 10% of its workforce, Meta announced last month that it would cancel hiring plans for 6,000 people and reassign another 7,000 employees to AI-related roles. In an internal letter to employees today, Zuckerberg thanked the departing colleagues and sought to reassure those remaining. According to the letter's content, disclosed by US media outlet Business Insider, Zuckerberg wrote: "It's always sad to say goodbye to partners who have contributed to our mission and the growth of our company. I can feel the weight of it." Zuckerberg also stated that he does not expect another company-wide layoff this year and admitted that the company has had shortcomings in its communication with employees in the past. He expressed optimism about the company's direction, believing Meta is "one of the few companies with the ability to define the future," and reaffirmed his commitment to the goal of letting users worldwide experience "personal superintelligence." The scale of the layoffs in this reorganization is second only to the approximately 21,000 people laid off during Zuckerberg's "Year of Efficiency" in 2022-2023. This wave of layoffs coincides with Meta significantly increasing its spending on AI infrastructure. Meta projects its capital expenditures this year will reach $125 billion to $145 billion, more than double its spending for 2025.