Meta cuts 8,000 jobs; Microsoft offers voluntary exits to 8,750 staff

Meta is laying off roughly 10% of its workforce—8,000 employees—beginning May 20, with 6,000 open positions frozen. Microsoft, for the first time in 51 years, is offering voluntary buyouts to 7% of its US workforce, potentially reducing headcount by up to 8,750. US tech job cuts in April totaled 33,361; year-to-date cuts reach 85,411, up 33% from last year, with AI cited as the direct cause in 49,135 cases.