US based tech giant Meta is gearing up to fire around 8,000 employees, which makes up around 10 per cent of the company’s global workforce. According to a recent report published in Reuters, the company is planning multiple rounds of job cuts this year starting from 20th May. As the declared deadline is around the corner, the reports suggest that the Meta workforce is going through severe anxiety. An ex-employee named Adel Wu shared that stress levels inside the tech giant are high all the time, with several employees uncertain about their future. While sharing a X post she stated some workers are “hoping to get laid off”, whereas others fear losing a job they depend on for living.
“My friends still there are either just waiting, hoping to get laid off or extremely anxious because the job is their lifeline,” she said on Saturday.
during my last year at meta there were probably 4-5 layoffs, but this one on 5/20 is huuuge
my friends still there are either just waiting hoping to get laid off or extremely anxious because the job is their lifeline
i remember the very first big layoff the night before was… https://t.co/3fhVNzQjGn
— adel 🌟 (@adelwu_) May 16, 2026
She further recalled witnessing one of the earliest layoffs at the company, when employees were stuffing their bags with free office snacks, drinks, and chargers.
She added, “I remember the very first big layoff the night before was almost like doomsday, people were stuffing their bags with free snacks and drinks and chargers. Very weird time to be in big tech”
After the 20th of May layoffs, the company is likely to carry out more job cuts in the second half of the year as per the media reports.
Primary Reason Behind Meta Layoff
The key factor behind the layoff is that CEO Mark Zuckerberg is investing heavily in artificial intelligence as the company is restructuring its operations around AI-powered efficiency. The company’s planned layoffs also show a broader trend across the tech industry. Major tech giants consisting of Amazon, Oracle, and HCL, etc. are on a similar pathway, eliminating around 30,000 roles in the recent months.
How Nitizens Reacts on Layoff News
The news regarding Meta’s anticipated layoffs has resulted in sharp social media reactions. Reacting on post shared by Wu on X some users described employees stocking up on office supplies as a form of “trauma bonding.” Users also mocked that it would become a memorable story to share in the future.
A user commented on the viral post that “Stuffing bags with free stuff after layoff news is a weird cope. but i guess Meta is full of weirdos. makes sense”
While another user wrote “Haha, I remember waking up at like 3 am PT to sit and stare at my inbox for the email of doom. Trauma bonding. Makes for a crazy story to tell in the future.”
Also Read: Why Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff Is Spending $300 Million On Anthropic AI Tokens In 2026
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
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