Employees in Singapore were among the first in the world to receive devastating layoff notices from Meta at around 4am on May 20, as the tech giant launched another massive global retrenchment exercise affecting approximately 8,000 workers.
The company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp is reportedly restructuring aggressively as it doubles down on artificial intelligence and automation. According to reports, workers in other countries are expected to receive their notices based on their respective time zones.
The latest cuts are said to heavily impact engineering and product teams, with insiders describing the move as part of a broader overhaul of Meta’s internal operations. The retrenchment exercise comes just days after around 7,000 employees were reassigned into newly-created AI-focused divisions involving AI agents, automation tools and advanced digital products.
For many Singapore-based employees, the shock reportedly came before sunrise. Several workers allegedly woke up to emails informing them that their roles had been eliminated, triggering anxiety across the local tech sector. Singapore has long been one of Meta’s major regional hubs in Asia, housing teams responsible for operations, advertising, cybersecurity and enterprise technology solutions.
AI Push Reshapes Meta Workforce
The latest layoffs appear closely tied to CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s aggressive AI ambitions. Internal memos reportedly stated that Meta is redesigning teams using “AI native design principles”, allowing flatter structures and smaller groups to operate with greater speed and efficiency.
Meta’s Head of People, Janelle Gale, reportedly said the company believes leaner teams supported by artificial intelligence will increase productivity while making work “more rewarding”.
However, not everyone inside the company is convinced.
More than 1,000 employees have reportedly signed a petition objecting to Meta’s plans to collect device activity data such as keystrokes and mouse movements to help train AI systems. The concerns have sparked debates around workplace surveillance, employee privacy and ethical AI governance — topics becoming increasingly important across the global technology and cybersecurity industries.
More Layoffs Could Be Coming
The current retrenchment wave may only be the beginning. Reports suggest another round of layoffs could happen later this year, potentially impacting over 20 per cent of Meta’s total workforce.
As of March 2026, Meta employed just under 80,000 people globally. If projections materialise, tens of thousands of workers worldwide could eventually be affected.
The move also reflects a growing trend across major technology firms, where companies are rapidly replacing traditional roles with AI-assisted workflows. In recent months, firms in banking, finance and cloud computing have also announced restructuring plans linked to automation and artificial intelligence adoption.
For Singapore’s tech workforce, the development may fuel further concerns over job stability in high-paying digital careers once considered among the safest in the economy.