Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has confirmed it plans to cut more than 11,000 jobs globally as part of a major restructuring of the tech giant.
The cuts will reduce the size of the company’s workforce by about 13%.
Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the cuts were “some of the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history”.
“We are also taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1,” he said in a statement.
“I want to take accountability for these decisions and for how we got here. I know this is tough for everyone and I’m especially sorry to those impacted.”
Meta’s European headquarters is in Dublin, with 3,000 employees based in Ireland.
The global announcement will impact full-time Meta employees in Ireland. It will not affect contract workers employed by third-parties.
It is understood any redundancies in Ireland will be carried out within the country’s statutory framework, with affected employees entering a consultation period.
Meta has informed the relevant government departments and agencies of its plans, including the Department of the Taoiseach, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the IDA (Industrial Development Agency).
It is understood the announcement will not affect the Dublin hub’s status as Meta’s European headquarters and the company intends to proceed with longer-term investment plans in the country.
