Layoff Uncertainty at Meta
Uncertainty, uncertainty, uncertainty.
This is the vibe I’m sensing from nearly everyone I talk to across tech. It is especially pronounced among those at Meta.
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Layoff Rumors and Rumblings
With the news coming out last Friday, including unsubstantiated reports of a 20% layoff, it is safe to say everyone is on heightened alert. For a company that has already had multiple rounds of layoffs and increased rigor in its performance review process, it seems they still find new ways to cause mass internal disruption. Meta’s PR reply only added kerosene to those concerns: ‘This is speculative reporting about theoretical approaches.’
Meta employees also just came out of annual performance reviews, which already included harsher short-term performance-based headcount cuts. That means any potential new layoff, particularly at the rumored 20% level, cannot be purely performance-related. That reality adds to the tension. Nobody feels safe.
To be fair, I don’t know if there is a clean way to handle layoffs at this scale without causing widespread panic. But that doesn’t make it any easier for the people going through it, particularly when you see the company absolutely crushing it financially.
Seriously, Meta brought in nearly $60 billion in Q4 2025 alone, up 24% year-over-year. For the full year, they cleared more than $200 billion and posted nearly $23 billion in Q4 net income.
AI Spend Gone Wild
At the same time, they are pouring money into AI. Capital expenditures for 2026 are expected to land between $115 billion and $135 billion, about double 2025. Then layer on the US data center buildout, $2 billion on Manus, $14.5 billion on Scale AI, and high-profile hires costing tens or hundreds of millions each.
The unnerving thing for all tech workers is that Meta isn’t alone in this trend.
It is hard to feel sympathy for the company, but you should absolutely feel empathy for the employees.
The Hidden Weight of Waiting
It is the prolonged anticipation that weighs on you. Needing to learn about your own team’s reorg plans from news leaks rather than leadership. Being told once again to “focus on what you can control“ as if that magically eases the anxiety you feel in your chest.
That feeling sucks. You start questioning every vague meeting invite, reading into every moved 1:1, every org wide notification, and every single company wide email.
Trust me, I know.
Use This Feeling as a Forcing Function
Know Your Numbers
What I lean on in times like this is making sure you really understand your numbers, now more than ever. Make sure you have an emergency fund or access to funds that can last you at least 6 months.
You may also have the “benefit” of being at a company that has gone through multiple layoffs, so these severance packages are known.
Meta’s Prior Severance:
Think through what your plan is if you did lose your job. Think through what it would take financially to go more than six months or even a year before you land a new role. Think through what new expenses you’ll have.
Be Proactive in Your Job Hunt
Don’t get caught flat footed. Log back into LinkedIn (connect with me while you are there), reply to recruiter outreach. Even if they are not perfect fits, the act of replying sends signals to LinkedIn which will lead to you showing up more frequently in recruiter searches. Accept those old invites from past co-workers. Start replying to recruiter messages. Reach out for referrals. Kick off the process.
Back in 2023, Meta pre-announced 3 rounds of layoffs. I started interviewing ahead of my actual layoff. It is about giving yourself options.
I ultimately ran the numbers and concluded that I was not ready to commute back down into the peninsula.
Reflect on Your Enough
It’s also very possible that in the process of reviewing the numbers, you realize you might actually have enough and perhaps a severance isn’t the worst way to go. Sure, it would be nice to make it through March 2027 :), but maybe it’s no longer worth it.
Whatever happens, please be kind to yourself. It will suck. Over time, it will suck less.
Past Posts on Layoffs:
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