Meta Tried Hiring Days After Cutting 8,000 Jobs

A Doomsday Atmosphere

Meta's latest round of layoffs has sent shockwaves through the tech industry, with former employees painting a grim picture of the days leading up to the cuts. A viral post by ex-Meta employee Adel Wu described the night before the layoffs as feeling 'almost like doomsday,' with colleagues reportedly stuffing their bags with free office snacks, chargers, and drinks before termination notices arrived. The account resonated widely across social media, with countless tech workers sharing their own stories of sleepless nights refreshing inboxes for the dreaded email.

The Scale of the Cuts

The layoffs began on 20 May, with emails sent at 4 a.m. local time starting in Singapore, affecting roughly 10 per cent of Meta's global workforce. An additional 7,000 employees were reassigned to AI-focused teams, meaning approximately 20 per cent of the company's total staff were directly affected by the restructuring. Meta's Chief People Officer Janelle Gale framed the cuts as part of a 'continued effort to run the company more efficiently,' coinciding with the company's plan to spend as much as $145 billion on artificial intelligence this year.

Hiring Amid Firing

Adding fuel to the controversy, a startup founder revealed this week that Meta attempted to recruit him just days after executing the mass layoffs, reigniting debate about the company's treatment of its workforce. The episode reflects a broader pattern at Meta, which in 2025 launched an aggressive AI hiring spree, reportedly offering compensation packages worth upwards of $100 million to researchers at competitors including OpenAI, only to later lay off 600 people from the same AI division months later.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees on 20 May that he does not expect further company-wide layoffs this year. However, the reassurance has done little to quell unease, particularly given prior reports that Meta was considering additional substantial cuts later in 2026.

Political Fallout in Ireland

In Ireland, where up to 350 of Meta's 1,800-strong workforce face redundancy, the cuts have drawn political scrutiny. Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh called for an 'urgent and coordinated government response,' warning that the layoffs should serve as a 'wake-up call' about the risks of overreliance on multinational tech employers. Ireland's Meta workforce has already shrunk by 40 per cent from its post-pandemic peak of 3,000 staff. Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke responded that the government stands firmly behind affected workers and pledged support in securing new employment.