[News] Meta Reportedly Eyes 20% Job Cuts, Largest Since 2023; ASML Plans 1,700 Layoffs

Major tech companies are once again preparing for layoffs. According to Reuters, sources say Meta is considering broad job cuts that could affect 20% or more of its workforce as the company seeks to offset the heavy costs of AI infrastructure investments. The report adds that no timeline has been set for the potential layoffs, and the final scale of the cuts has yet to be determined.

As the report notes, if Meta proceeds with layoffs of around 20%, it would mark the company’s largest cuts since the restructuring in late 2022 and early 2023 that it dubbed the “year of efficiency.” According to its latest filing, Meta employed nearly 79,000 people as of December 31.

The rumored job cuts are said to be tied to Meta’s rising AI spending. As the report notes, the company plans to invest $600 billion to build data centers by 2028. Earlier this week, it also acquired Moltbook, a social networking platform designed for AI agents, and is spending at least $2 billion to acquire the Chinese AI startup Manus, Reuters reports.

Meta’s plans reflect a broader trend among major U.S. companies, as executives say improvements in AI allow firms to operate with fewer workers. Amazon has taken similar steps, confirming plans to cut about 16,000 jobs, or roughly 10% of its workforce, the report notes.

Meanwhile, according to The Economic Times, citing Financial Times, Oracle is preparing another round of job cuts in the coming months as it leans more heavily on AI to boost efficiency while conserving cash for its expanding data-center strategy. The company has set aside an additional $500 million for restructuring, according to a regulatory filing. This raises Oracle’s total restructuring reserves for the current fiscal year to $2.1 billion—well above prior years and potentially enough to fund thousands of job reductions.

ASML Job Cuts Target Management Even as Expansion Continues

Job cuts are not limited to U.S. tech companies. Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASML is also planning layoffs. According to Tom’s Hardware, although the company announced in January plans to eliminate 1,700 management roles, employees remain uncertain about whether their positions will be affected. As the report notes, the cuts target management roles within ASML’s technology and IT departments. About 1,400 positions will be eliminated in the Netherlands and another 300 in the U.S., together accounting for roughly 4% of the company’s global workforce.

Citing sources, the report says that while ASML aims to finalize the terms of its reorganization by April 1, unions have rejected the timeline as unrealistic and questioned the rationale behind the cuts, noting that the company is simultaneously pursuing expansion plans. As the report notes, ASML is preparing to build a second campus at the Brainport Industries Campus near Eindhoven Airport. The site is expected to accommodate about 20,000 employees. Once fully occupied, this could nearly double the company’s current Dutch workforce of roughly 23,000, with the first 5,000 workers scheduled to move in by early 2028.

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