NEWS

Meta Begins Technical Layoffs as Part of Latest Job Cuts

ByGrady Owen

Apr 20, 2023

As part of its latest round of job cuts, Meta (formerly Facebook) has begun laying off employees in technical roles. According to reports, on Wednesday, Meta started the process of letting go of employees with technical backgrounds, including user experience, software engineering, and graphics programming.

Several employees affected by the layoffs took to LinkedIn to share their experiences, and one employee stated that Meta plans to cut business-facing roles, such as finance, legal, and HR, beginning in May. The employee, who spoke anonymously, further disclosed that Meta suggested tech teams who weren’t impacted by Wednesday’s cuts may also be included in layoffs next month.

Gameplay programmers were also affected by the layoffs, as per LinkedIn posts. The gameplay engineers work on virtual and augmented reality products, according to a Meta job listing.
In a statement to CNBC, a Meta spokesperson confirmed the layoffs, but the company hasn’t disclosed the number of employees impacted by the cuts.

Many impacted employees took to social media to express their disappointment and shock. A Facebook business program manager wrote on LinkedIn, “I woke up this morning to the unfortunate news that I was one of the many laid-off from Meta today.”

The latest job cuts come after Meta announced in March that it would cut down its workforce by 10% or around 10,000 jobs. The company cited changing market dynamics and the need to focus on new areas such as the metaverse as the reasons behind the layoffs.

In conclusion, Meta’s latest round of job cuts has hit technical roles, including user experience, software engineering, graphics programming, and gameplay programming. The company is expected to cut business-facing roles in May, and some tech teams may also be impacted next month. The layoffs come as Meta shifts its focus to new areas, such as the metaverse. It remains to be seen how many more employees will be affected by the cuts and how it will impact the company’s operations in the long run.

By Grady Owen

After training a pack of Raptors on Isla Nublar, Owen Grady changed his name and decided to take a job as an entertainment writer. Now armed with a computer and the internet, Grady Owen is prepared to deliver the best coverage in movies, TV, and music for you.