Meta layoffs hit Seattle with 1,400 jobs lost as fears mount over city’s corporate climate

Layoff notices began going out last Wednesday as Meta moved forward with plans to eliminate roughly 8,000 employees globally, about 10 percent of its workforce, while reorganizing around AI initiatives. Washington Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filings now confirm that 1,395 of those cuts are tied to King County. The layoffs hit offices in Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond, along with dozens of remote workers based in Washington. According to the filings, approximately 43 employees are being cut from Meta’s Dexter Avenue office in Seattle, 10 from its Utah Avenue South location, nine from Bellevue, 67 from Redmond, and roughly 39 remote workers living in Washington.

According to KOMO News, the layoffs affect a range of positions, though software engineers and recruiters appear to make up the largest share of impacted workers. Other cuts include employees in product management, design management, data science, and various leadership roles. Meta said the reductions are part of a broader restructuring strategy designed to streamline operations while dramatically expanding investment in artificial intelligence. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has described AI as Meta’s top strategic priority as the company competes with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. As part of the reorganization, Meta also plans to shift more than 7,000 employees into AI-focused initiatives.

The layoffs are heavily concentrated in Reality Labs, Meta’s augmented and virtual reality division responsible for smart glasses, AR and VR technology, and wearable devices. Leaders reportedly told employees that additional job cuts remain possible.

The latest reductions add to a difficult year for major employers across Washington. According to Washington State Employment Security Department data, nearly 500 Meta workers had already lost their jobs earlier this year before the newest layoffs were announced. Meta had also previously scaled back portions of its planned Bellevue expansion and reduced office commitments in the region as part of broader cost-cutting efforts.

Thousands of tech workers have also lost jobs in Washington this year. Meanwhile, downtown Seattle office vacancy rates have climbed above 35 percent as major tech companies continue shrinking office footprints following years of rapid expansion.

The Meta cuts come amid growing concerns about Washington’s broader business climate. Starbucks recently announced plans to move or hire 2,000 workers in Nashville as part of a $100 million Tennessee expansion while simultaneously cutting jobs, consolidating office space, and closing stores in Seattle. The company has also announced multiple rounds of layoffs affecting workers in Seattle and Kent, while reportedly vacating at least one Seattle-area office ahead of the Nashville expansion.

Aerospace supplier Janicki Industries has warned it is pursuing future growth outside Washington due to regulations and rising costs, while Tacoma manufacturer Delta Camshaft announced it is relocating to Arizona after 48 years in the state. Even former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz recently warned in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that Seattle’s political leadership increasingly treats business as “the adversary of the public good.”