Meta Layoffs (2023): Everything We Know So Far

Here's what we know so far about Meta's round of layoffs in March, 2023.

We spoke with employees at Meta and gathered up all the information we could to give you an up-to-date look at what's happening on the ground.

This report will be updated as more information becomes available.

Key takeaways:

• When are layoffs happening? Additional layoffs will begin on March 15 and continue in April and May.
• How many people will be laid off? Around 10K employees will be impacted, in addition to 11,000 people (13% of its workforce) last year.
• Is there a severance package? It's likely employees will be offered about 16 weeks of severance and payouts of remaining PTO and benefits.

When will Meta layoffs happen?

Update 3/14: Zuckerberg has confirmed in an open letter to employees that layoffs will occur in multiple waves, beginning on March 15 and continuing in April and May.

Facebook will be the first Big Tech company to undergo a second wave of layoffs. The next round of layoffs is not officially confirmed, but reports suggest that they will happen in mid-March, possibly as early as March 14 or March 15.

Major outlets including the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have reported on the news, with rumors on social network Blind confirming the reports.

The last round of major layoffs at Facebook/Meta occurred on November 9, 2022, which was a Wednesday.

How many people will be affected by layoffs this time?

Update 3/14: Meta is letting go of an additional 10K employees over the course of the next few months.

The previous round of layoffs affected around 13% of Meta's global workforce, or around 11,000 employees. It is rumored that the next round of layoffs could be similar in magnitude, with latest reports saying that they will be "in the thousands."

What roles and teams at Meta will be affected?

Update 3/14: Recruiting, business, and tech teams will all be affected at different phases of layoffs.

The first round of layoffs in 2022 mostly affected business and recruiting teams across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The next round of layoffs will see more cuts in recruiting, plus sales and marketing orgs, according to the WSJ.

According to public WARN records, which are reported by companies to California by law, the last round of cuts disproportionately affected employees from certain teams, affecting more software engineers in Instagram than WhatsApp.

Meta publicly stated that it is seeking to reduce the layers of management in its organization, so it is likely that more managers will be let go this time around, or asked to return to IC or hybrid IC-manager roles as the organization undergoes flattening. Rumors on Blind suggested that up to 1,000 management roles could be cut.

Meta may be looking to downsize its investments in the metaverse and shift resources internally back to its core businesses, in part responding to investors' calls for Meta to spend more efficiently.

According to one engineering manager at Facebook we spoke with, many core advertising teams continued to increase headcount after the last layoff but were asked to prioritize internal transfers over external hires.

This is likely to be the case again as employees are shifted to business-critical projects.

How much severance will employees receive?

The severance package offered to Meta employees in the first round of layoffs was as follows:

• Salary. 16 weeks of base pay + 2 weeks for every year.
• PTO. Remaining PTO paid out.
• RSUs. Stock vested through the next pay period.
• Health insurance. Cost of healthcare covered for 6 months.
• Career services. 3 months of career support.
• Immigration support. Dedicated immigration assistance offered.

The severance package will likely be consistent with this last round of layoffs. Still, Meta and other companies may begin cutting the amount of severance offered as deeper layoffs occur—or provide different amounts of severance depending on role and business unit. When Alphabet did layoffs earlier this year, Google employees received more compensation than those in other business units like Verily and Waymo.

It's worth noting; companies like Meta that operate in many geographic areas may be under different obligations to employees depending on local regulations.

What to do before and after layoffs

If you're worried about being laid off, were recently laid off, or are close to someone affected, here are some practical next steps to take:

1. Get the most from your benefits. You will likely be eligible for continuation of certain benefits like health insurance until the end of the month, but other benefits like FSA could expire on your last day.
2. Update your email. Make sure you aren't relying on your work email or corporate laptop for personal affairs. You could suddenly become locked out of those devices and accounts.
3. Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Refresh your resume and public profiles to help you land more interviews. Get your resume reviewed for missing skills and details.
4. Reach out to your network, friends, and colleagues. Let people know that you're open to new opportunities and get referred to companies that are hiring.
5. If you're on a work visa, consider your options. Depending on your visa type and status, your options may be more limited. For example, H1B holders typically have 60 days to find a new employer.
6. Brush up on your interviewing skills. Get ready for your next job by preparing for interviews. Practice with interview prep courses and mock interviews.