Fresh layoffs at Meta and LinkedIn are adding to growing concerns across Silicon Valley as major technology companies continue reshaping their workforces around artificial intelligence.

Meta this week began cutting around 10 per cent of its global workforce, eliminating an estimated 8,000 jobs as the company redirects billions towards AI development and organisational restructuring.

At the same time, LinkedIn has confirmed more than 600 employees will lose their jobs in coming months, with filings showing 606 staff members were notified of permanent layoffs scheduled to take effect in July.

The largest portion of LinkedIn’s cuts will hit its Mountain View operations in California, alongside further reductions across San Francisco, Sunnyvale and remote teams.

The job losses arrive despite LinkedIn recently reporting 12 per cent year-on-year revenue growth, highlighting how even financially strong tech firms are aggressively trimming costs while increasing investment in AI infrastructure and automation.

Meta employees affected by the latest cuts have described an atmosphere of uncertainty and exhaustion inside the company.

Former Meta content designer Brittany Pierson said she had expected her role would eventually disappear because of AI-driven restructuring.

Pierson claimed workers inside the company were already hearing speculation about another round of layoffs potentially arriving later this year despite chief executive Mark Zuckerberg publicly stating Meta did not expect additional company-wide cuts during 2026.

She said the latest restructuring felt different from previous rounds because many employees now believe certain jobs may disappear permanently rather than simply being reduced temporarily.

Current and former staff have taken to anonymous workplace forums and social media platforms to describe falling morale, anxiety and growing pressure to adapt to AI-focused roles.

One employee claimed they were laid off while seven months pregnant after already beginning parental leave preparations.

Another worker described feeling guilty for surviving the cuts while teammates lost their jobs.

Several employees also claimed Meta had intensified internal monitoring around the use of its own AI systems as management pushed staff to integrate automation tools into everyday workflows.

Software engineer Matthew Young, who learned he had lost his job through a 4am email, said months of uncertainty had become deeply demoralising for staff.

While Young acknowledged AI could improve productivity, he argued it still could not fully replace skilled engineering work.

LinkedIn’s layoffs also appear tied to broader restructuring plans introduced under chief executive Daniel Shapero, who took over the role earlier this year.

In an internal memo, Shapero said the company needed to rethink how teams operate by focusing on smaller, more agile structures while scaling back spending across areas including marketing campaigns, vendor costs and office space.

Reports have also suggested LinkedIn could eventually cut as much as 5 per cent of its overall workforce, potentially affecting around 875 employees if implemented fully.

The latest reductions come as Microsoft, LinkedIn’s parent company, also moves to shrink staffing costs through voluntary buyout programs that could affect thousands of workers.

Across the technology sector, companies are increasingly positioning AI as both a growth engine and a cost-saving measure, but employees fear the rapid shift is creating long-term instability for white-collar roles once considered secure.