Meta is preparing to cut nearly 1,400 employees across Washington state, just days after Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg told employees the company did not expect further company-wide layoffs in 2026.
According to WARN filings submitted to Washington state authorities and first reported by FOX Business, the Facebook parent company will begin terminating employees across Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond and remote roles starting July 22 as part of a broader restructuring effort tied to artificial intelligence priorities.
The latest cuts offer one of the clearest indications yet of how deeply Meta’s AI-driven transformation is reshaping its workforce, particularly across engineering and technical teams.
The layoffs follow Meta’s recent global restructuring announcement, under which the company disclosed plans to eliminate nearly 10 per cent of its workforce while reallocating thousands of employees into AI-focused functions.
Bellevue faces the biggest impact
The Washington layoffs will affect employees across multiple locations and functions.
According to the WARN filing reviewed by FOX Business:
- 699 employees will be affected in Bellevue
- 259 workers across two Seattle offices will lose jobs
- 206 employees will be impacted in Redmond
- 231 remote employees across Washington state will also be affected
The cuts span several technical and operational roles, including:
- Software engineers
- Data scientists
- Content designers
- IT employees
The filing was signed by Meta Chief People Officer Janelle Gale, who confirmed affected employees were notified on May 20 and will continue receiving salary and benefits until their termination dates.
In a statement shared with FOX Business, a Meta spokesperson said the company’s restructuring includes layoffs, closure of open positions and movement of employees into “business critical priorities” across teams.
Layoffs come after Zuckerberg’s reassurance
The fresh round of job cuts arrives shortly after Zuckerberg attempted to calm employee concerns following Meta’s earlier restructuring exercise.
As previously reported by Reuters and Business Insider, Meta had already initiated another major round of layoffs globally in May, impacting nearly 8,000 employees across engineering, product and management functions.
At the time, Zuckerberg reportedly told employees in an internal memo that Meta did not anticipate additional company-wide layoffs during the remainder of 2026.
“I want to be clear that we do not expect other company-wide layoffs this year,” Zuckerberg said in comments cited by Reuters.
The company simultaneously acknowledged criticism around how earlier layoffs had been communicated internally.
AI restructuring reshapes Meta’s workforce
Meta’s latest cuts reflect a wider operational shift underway inside the company as it aggressively expands investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The company has emerged as one of Silicon Valley’s largest AI spenders, investing billions into:
- AI data centres
- Advanced computing chips
- Internal generative AI systems
- AI-powered product development
Executives have increasingly reorganised teams around what internal memos described as “AI-native design principles”.
Earlier communications reviewed by Reuters showed Meta reducing management layers and restructuring teams into smaller operational units designed to move faster with fewer employees.
According to Reuters, the company also plans to redeploy roughly 7,000 employees into AI-aligned functions as part of the wider transformation strategy.
Big Tech continues AI-led workforce reset
Meta’s Washington layoffs reinforce a broader trend across the technology sector, where companies are simultaneously expanding AI investment while reducing headcount in traditional business functions.
Over the past year, several major technology firms have announced restructuring plans linked to automation, operational efficiency and AI integration.
The trend has intensified concerns across the global technology workforce as companies reshape hiring priorities around machine learning, infrastructure engineering and AI product development.
Despite the latest cuts, Meta continues to position artificial intelligence at the centre of its long-term strategy as competition escalates with OpenAI, Microsoft and Google.
The company employed nearly 78,000 workers globally at the end of March, according to securities filings.
While Meta continues assuring employees that broader company-wide layoffs are not expected this year, the Washington job cuts suggest workforce restructuring tied to AI adoption remains far from over.