The AI jobs picture at Meta is contradictory on paper: the company is eliminating 198 California positions via state WARN Act filings effective May 2026, even as it projects $115 billion to $135 billion in 2026 capital expenditure with a large share directed at AI infrastructure.
Summary
- California WARN Act filings show Meta is cutting 124 jobs at its Burlingame office on Airport Boulevard, effective May 22, and 74 jobs at its Sunnyvale office on Discovery Way, effective May 29 — all permanent per the filings, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle
- The May round brings Meta’s confirmed 2026 California WARN total to 519, following a January round of 219 at Burlingame and additional March reductions; job functions at both offices have included hardware, augmented reality, and infrastructure work, though the WARN filings do not break down cuts by role
- CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called 2026 “a turning point for AI in the workplace”; Meta’s projected capex of $115 billion to $135 billion for the year is being directed toward data centers, servers, and AI model infrastructure even as headcount in California continues to fall
The California Employment Development Department’s WARN Act database is the primary public record for the cuts. The filings identify the affected locations as Meta’s Burlingame campus on Airport Boulevard and its Sunnyvale campus on Discovery Way, with effective termination dates of May 22 and May 29, respectively. Meta’s spokesperson described the reductions as “standard operational planning,” without specifying the roles or teams affected.
The 198 May positions are not an isolated event. When added to the 219 cut in January at the same Burlingame campus and additional reductions in March, Meta has now eliminated 519 confirmed California positions via WARN filings in the first four months of 2026. WARN filings only capture mass layoffs at covered locations that meet statutory thresholds, meaning the actual total of Meta’s California workforce reductions in 2026 is likely higher than what the public record reflects. The pattern across four months is one of continuous restructuring rather than a single defined reduction event.
The Paradox of Rising Capex and Falling Headcount
The tension in Meta’s labor strategy is not unique to the company. As crypto.news has reported, a broad wave of technology firms in 2026 has cited AI integration as a driver of workforce reductions, framing cuts as efficiency gains rather than financial distress. In Meta’s case, Zuckerberg’s own language has been explicit: if AI can handle tasks previously requiring large teams, the company needs fewer humans. Even as California headcount shrinks, the company says it is hiring actively for specialized technical roles in AI development.
What Comes Next for Affected Workers
The WARN Act requires 60 days’ written notice before mass layoffs, meaning the filings made public this week reflect decisions finalized around late March. Workers at both locations are entitled to notice rights and may have claims if the notice period was not properly observed. As crypto.news has noted, competition for AI talent between Meta and frontier labs has been intense throughout 2025 and 2026, and some affected workers may find themselves immediately recruited by other companies in the AI buildout. Meta has not indicated whether the May round represents the end of California reductions for 2026.
