Meta To Cut About 10 Pct Of Workforce As Microsoft Launches Voluntary Retirement Programme

SAN FRANCISCO, April 24 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Meta Platforms plans to cut about 10 per cent of its workforce, according to media reports on Thursday citing an internal memo, as the social media giant continues to pursue efficiency while increasing investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure (AI) and talent, reported Xinhua.

Meta had a global workforce of 78,865 employees as of Dec 31, 2025, according to its annual report, meaning the latest move would affect roughly 8,000 jobs.

In its latest annual report and earnings materials, Meta said it remains focused on "operating efficiently" while investing heavily in AI and infrastructure.

The company said it expects 2026 capital expenditures to be in the range of US$115 billion to US$135 billion, with the year-on-year increase driven by investments supporting its Meta Superintelligence Labs efforts and core business.

According to media reports citing an internal memo, Microsoft's chief people officer Amy Coleman introduced a one-time voluntary retirement programme for a small percentage of the company's long-serving US employees, a move that reports say could cover thousands of U.S. employees.

As of June 30, 2025, Microsoft employed approximately 228,000 people on a full-time basis, including 125,000 in the United States, according to its annual report.

The company has also been spending aggressively on AI infrastructure. In its fiscal 2026 second-quarter earnings call in January, Microsoft said capital expenditures reached US$37.5 billion in the quarter, with roughly two-thirds of that spending going to short-lived assets, primarily GPUs and CPUs.

The moves underscore how major US technology companies are continuing to adjust their workforce structures and cost bases while pouring more resources into AI-related infrastructure, products and technical talent.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA