Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is cutting 8,000 jobs to pay for AI infrastructure — insatiable compute demand means the company can't rule out further headcount reductions
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company will cut approximately 8,000 jobs, affecting 10% of its workforce, to redirect funds toward expanding AI infrastructure. The decision comes as Meta raised its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to between $125 billion and $145 billion, driven by soaring compute demands. Despite strong financial performance, Zuckerberg did not rule out further layoffs as AI investments continue to reshape cost priorities.
- ▪Meta is laying off around 8,000 employees, representing about 10% of its workforce, starting May 20, 2026.
- ▪The company increased its 2026 capital expenditure forecast to $125–145 billion, up from $115–135 billion previously.
- ▪Meta reported $56.31 billion in revenue for Q1 2026, a 33% year-over-year increase, with $19.84 billion spent on capex in the quarter.
- ▪Zuckerberg attributed the layoffs to rising AI infrastructure costs rather than financial hardship or productivity gains from AI.
- ▪CFO Susan Li stated that the optimal long-term workforce size remains uncertain due to the rapid evolution of AI technology.
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Tech Industry Big Tech Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is cutting 8,000 jobs to pay for AI infrastructure — insatiable compute demand means the company can't rule out further headcount reductions News By Luke James published 1 May 2026 Compute costs are crowding out headcount at the company that just raised its 2026 capex forecast to $145 billion. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Getty/ Bloomberg) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees at a company town hall on Thursday that the roughly 8,000 planned layoffs are a…
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