* Tech * AI * News # Meta is laying off hundreds of employees as it pours money into AI This latest round of layoffs impacts workers on Reality Labs, as well as Meta’s recruiting, social media, and sales teams. This latest round of layoffs impacts workers on Reality Labs, as well as Meta’s recruiting, social media, and sales teams. by Emma Roth Mar 25, 2026, 9:10 PM UTC Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge [](/authors/emma-roth) Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Meta is laying off hundreds of employees across its company, according to reports from [_The New York Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/technology/meta-lays-off-700-employees-while-rewarding-top-executives.html), [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/meta-layoffs-hundreds-employees-five-divisions-vr-ai-who-rcna265127), and [_The Information_](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/meta-platforms-lay-hundreds). The job cuts impact workers on Meta’s recruiting, social media, and sales teams, along with Reality Labs, the division that develops the company’s smart glasses and virtual reality headsets. “Teams across Meta regularly restructure or implement changes to ensure they’re in the best position to achieve their goals,” Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton says in an emailed statement to _The Verge_. “Where possible, we are finding other opportunities for employees whose positions may be impacted.” Clayton declined to specify how many roles are impacted. Meta had almost 79,000 workers as [of December 2025](https://investor.atmeta.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2026/Meta-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2025-Results/default.aspx). Meta has been distancing itself from its “metaverse” namesake in recent months, with the company projected to spend [as much as $135 billion](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/technology/meta-earnings-ai-spending.html) as it continues [its AI data center buildout](/news/869008/meta-data-centers-ad-campaign) and [snags a deal to use Arm’s first CPU](/ai-artificial-intelligence/899823/arm-agi-cpu-meta) in them. The company also laid off [at least 1,000 workers](/news/861295/meta-reality-labs-layoffs-shift-to-wearables) on its Reality Labs team in January, [shuttered three VR studios](/news/861420/meta-reality-labs-layoffs-vr-studios-twisted-pixel-sanzaru-armature), [axed its work-focused metaverse platform](/tech/863209/meta-has-discontinued-its-metaverse-for-work-too), and halted new content for its [VR fitness app _Supernatural_](/tech/871250/supernatural-meta-vr-fitness-community). In February, Meta said it [would shut down the VR version](/tech/881647/meta-vr-mobile-metaverse-horizon-worlds) of its 3D social platform Horizon Worlds [before reversing the decision](/tech/897396/meta-vr-horizon-worlds-metaverse-andrew-bosworth) weeks later, saying it will be available to download “for the foreseeable future.” **Follow topics and authors** from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. * Emma Roth * AI * Labor * Meta * News * Tech