Meta to Lay Off 8,000 Employees from May 20; Workers Describe Wait as '28 days in helll'

San Francisco: Meta is preparing to lay off approximately 8,000 employees — around 10 per cent of its global workforce — with the company officially announcing that the process will begin on May 20. The uncertainty over who will lose their jobs has left thousands of workers in a state of prolonged anxiety, with employees describing the waiting period as "28 days of hell."

The layoffs are being carried out to redirect resources towards artificial intelligence dominance, with Meta investing approximately $135 billion in AI infrastructure this year alone. In addition to the job cuts, around 6,000 planned new hires have also been cancelled.

The human toll of the uncertainty is stark. When asked how they are supposed to focus on work for the next month?, an employee answered that they are spending their time updating their resume. "We are living every moment in fear until May 20," wrote another.

This is the third round of layoffs at Meta in 2026 alone. In January, 1,500 employees from Reality Labs were let go, followed by 700 more in March. The repeated waves of job cuts have deeply unsettled the company's workforce even as Meta's leadership pursues an aggressive pivot towards AI-driven growth and infrastructure expansion.