Meta Layoffs Hit Globally, But Europe’s Labor Laws Shield Some Workers

• A leaked internal memo revealed new layoffs at Meta commencing Monday, Feb. 10.
• This follows broader tech layoffs impacting employees globally.
• While Meta’s layoffs have impacted employees in many regions, workers in countries with strong labor protections have remained largely unaffected.

Meta has commenced its latest round of layoffs, impacting approximately 3,600 employees, or 5% of its workforce, as the company continues restructuring efforts in 2025.

The job cuts, which the company has characterized as targeting “low performers,” are part of what Meta leadership has described as an “intense year” ahead.

While the layoffs span multiple regions, workers in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands are reportedly exempt due to labor protections in those countries.

Meta Layoffs Begin

According to Meta’s most recent earnings report , the company employs over 72,000 people.

The leaked memo , viewed by Business Insider, says that affected employees were expected to be notified by Feb. 10.

This marks Meta’s most significant workforce reduction since its 2022 and 2023 layoffs, during which the company cut approximately 21,000 positions—then about a quarter of its total staff—under its so-called “Year of Efficiency” initiative.

CFO Susan Li recently told investors that the company is hiring more machine learning engineers while limiting growth in non-technical business functions.

Global Tech Job Cuts Persist

Meta’s workforce reduction is part of a larger pattern of layoffs affecting major tech companies in early 2025.

Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have also announced significant job cuts in recent months, citing cost optimization, restructuring, and AI-driven workforce reallocation.

While artificial intelligence offers companies new avenues for efficiency and cost savings, it has also contributed to concerns about job displacement.

In Meta’s recently leaked all-hands meeting, reviewed by Business Insider, the CEO told employees AI would be at the forefront of everything Meta did this year.

European Labor Laws Limit Impact—With Exceptions

Unlike in the U.S., where layoffs can be executed swiftly, several European countries have stricter labor protections that make large-scale job cuts more difficult.

If a company with over 300 employees plans to lay off at least 30 workers within 30 days, it must follow extensive consultation and notification procedures.

Some EU countries have even lower thresholds for triggering these protections.

In Germany, for example, stringent employment regulations require companies to negotiate with workers’ councils before terminating employees.

Similarly, French labor laws impose significant restrictions on dismissals, often requiring extensive justification and severance obligations.

However, these protections do not apply universally. European labor laws do not mandate consultation or redundancy protections for fixed-term contract employees unless the layoff occurs before their contract ends.

While these exceptions may limit the number of shielded workers, Meta has not publicly disclosed how many of its employees in the protected countries fall under these categories.