meta layoffs
Definition
A colloquial term referring to the series of large-scale employee layoffs conducted by Meta Platforms, Inc. (parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp), with major rounds in 2022 (over 11,000 jobs), 2023, and most recently in January 2026 affecting more than 1,000 workers in the Reality Labs division focused on VR and AR.
Often shorthand for the corporate restructuring and cost-cutting measures at Meta amid economic pressures, metaverse skepticism, and a pivot toward AI investments, symbolizing broader tech industry turbulence.
Examples
The meta layoffs hit Reality Labs hard, closing three VR studios overnight and sending developers scrambling for AI gigs.
Surviving the meta layoffs feels like winning the tech lottery, especially when your ex-coworkers are now flooding LinkedIn with metaverse memes.
Zuck announced more meta layoffs just as everyone thought the metaverse party was back on—talk about mixed reality.
In Silicon Valley, dodging meta layoffs is the new extreme sport, complete with stock vest cliffs and severance parachute fails.