Time was, the future looked so bright for Meta Platforms that founder Mark Zuckerberg had to wear shades—AI-powered smart glasses, that is.In Zuckerberg’s words, 2023 wasn’t just Meta’s “year of efficiency” — it was actually the company’s best year ever. Shares surged 178% as the digital advertising industry rebounded from the pandemic, and the company gained market share from rivals like Alphabet and Snap.But that turnaround came at a steep human cost. Meta eliminated roughly 21,000 jobs as part of a sweeping corporate restructuring plan aimed at streamlining operations and boosting profitability.The story has become more complicated in 2026. Although Meta continues to post impressive earnings growth that surpasses analyst expectations, investors have become increasingly concerned about Meta’s enormous spending on artificial intelligence. The tech giant raised its 2026 AI capex guidance to as much as $145 billion, even though Zuck himself admitted that AI “hasn’t really accelerated in the way that we expected.”And those AI glasses? Many customers have mixed feelings on the wearables due to unsettling privacy concerns and the fact that AI still can’t quite get things right, leading investors to wonder whether Meta’s big bets will ultimately pay off.As a result, Meta’s shares have fallen roughly 16% to 18% year-over-year as of July 2026, and Meta has once again turned to layoffs to balance its AI ambitions with more practical cost control.So just how large is Meta’s workforce today — and where are its employees located? @alejandra_n_h And that’s on always having a backup plan. The #metalayoffs was one of the biggest life altering moments of my life. I decided to use it as an opportunity to not only build a business but build a platform. It’s crazy that I’m still receiving opportunities to share about my journey after my layoff and how something that turned my life upside down gave me the freedom to build my dream life. #unemployed #lifeat40 #selfmployed #bayareatech #rebuildingmylife #buildingmydreamlife #corporatedropout #businessowner #techlayoffs #portfoliocareer ♬ original sound – silly guy How many employees does Meta have in 2026?Meta’s global workforce numbered 78,865 employees as of December 31, 2025, as reported in the company’s 2026 annual report. That’s a more than sixfold increase from the end of 2015, when the company had 12,691 employees, a sign of significant growth as it expanded its existing businesses and added new ones.Related: How many employees does Nvidia have? From R&D to sales
AI glasses, as worn by founder Mark Zuckerberg, are just one of Meta Platform’s latest billion-dollar bets. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)Bloomberg / Getty Images
Where are Meta’s employees located?Meta has come a long way from its beginnings as a social networking site in a Harvard dorm room. “The Facebook,” as it was known in the early 2000s, evolved into a trillion-dollar technology company encompassing social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, as well as AR hardware and spatial computing. In 2021, Facebook changed its name to Meta Platforms to reflect its expanding identity.Meta’s workforce spans a range of functions, including engineering, machine learning, and data science. It also employs workers in its product and program management divisions, as well as in business operations roles in finance, legal, communications, and human resources.Its headquarters are in Menlo Park, California, but Meta also maintains dozens of corporate hubs around the country and worldwide, including:San FranciscoSeattleNew YorkAustinWashington, DCLondonParisDublinSydneySao PauloTel AvivHas Meta had layoffs recently?On January 14, 2026, the company laid off 1,500 workers in its Metaverse division in order to shift spending to its AI glasses. Then on May 20, 2026, the company laid off an additional 8,000 employees across numerous departments. That means that roughly 1 out of every 10 Meta employees (or 10%) lost their job. These reductions were intended to offset Meta’s investments in AI.More on tech stocks:Nvidia’s stock split history: Everything you need to knowAMD’s stock buybacks explained: History, balance & outlookDoes Intel pay dividends? History & future prospects explained“Success isn’t a given,” Zuckerberg explained in a company memo, going on to add that “AI is the most consequential technology of our lifetimes” and “the companies that lead the way will define the next generation.“In addition to the job cuts, Meta transitioned 7,000 employees into new AI-focused roles. It also canceled plans to hire 6,000 new workers.A source told CNBC that additional layoffs are expected in August 2026 and later in the fall, although Zuckerberg’s memo stated that they “do not expect other companywide layoffs this year.”For now, all eyes are on Meta’s next earnings release on July 29, 2026, to see whether its aggressive AI spending is finally paying off — or if more cost-cutting could still be ahead.Related: How many employees does Apple have? A deeper look at the tech giant’s workforce