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Meta Reduces Workforce By 10% As It Shifts Spending To AI

Meta is reducing its workforce by 10%, affecting approximately 8,000 employees, according to Bloomberg. The move is part of a broader effort to streamline operations and reallocate resources as the company adjusts its cost structure.

Implementation And Immediate Impact

An internal memo circulated on Thursday said the layoffs will take effect on May 20. In parallel, Meta will halt recruitment for around 6,000 open positions. The scale of the restructuring was also reported by Reuters, highlighting the breadth of the company’s cost-cutting measures.

Balancing Cost And Innovation

Janelle Gale said the decision reflects an effort to improve operational efficiency while continuing to support key investments. She noted that the company is balancing cost reductions with funding for priority areas, underscoring the trade-offs involved in the restructuring. The workforce reduction comes despite the contributions of affected employees, as Meta shifts resources toward segments expected to drive future growth.

Strategic Investment Shift

Meta has increased spending in recent years, particularly on metaverse initiatives, while also accelerating investment in artificial intelligence. As returns from metaverse projects have remained below expectations, the company has placed greater emphasis on AI development. The rollout of its updated AI product, Muse Spark, reflects this shift, as Meta seeks to strengthen its position in a competitive technology environment.

Looking Ahead

As Meta implements these changes, attention will focus on how effectively the company balances cost control with continued investment in growth areas. The restructuring signals a more disciplined approach to spending, with resources being redirected toward technologies expected to deliver longer-term returns.

EU Agrees On Major Overhaul Of Financial Market Supervision

European Union finance ministers have reached agreement on a sweeping package designed to strengthen oversight of the bloc’s financial markets, in a move aimed at reducing fragmentation and improving the flow of capital across borders.

A Push To Deepen Capital Markets

The Market Integration and Supervision Package, or MISP, would grant the European Securities and Markets Authority direct supervision over major market operators that are currently regulated by national authorities. The reforms are intended to make Europe’s capital markets more integrated, more efficient and better able to channel savings into productive investment.

According to the Irish presidency, the package is meant to help savings and investments move more freely across the European Union, improving access to finance for companies while giving households broader opportunities to earn returns on their savings.

What The Reform Would Change

Under the new framework, ESMA would take direct oversight of key trading venues, clearing houses, securities settlement bodies and crypto-asset service providers. The package would also establish a permanent, independent executive board within the regulator, strengthening its institutional capacity.

Market operators would be able to opt into a new EU-wide operating framework. In parallel, the reforms would seek to make national supervision more consistent and update rules governing trading, transaction completion, investment management and the use of blockchain technology.

Why The Agreement Matters

Supporters of deeper capital markets argue that Europe has long paid a price for regulatory inconsistency. While many rules are harmonised across the bloc, differences in enforcement and supervision have contributed to a patchwork system that can make cross-border investment slower and more costly.

A more integrated framework, proponents say, could lower costs for companies seeking funding and broaden the menu of investment options available to savers and institutional investors alike.

Outstanding Questions Remain

Despite the broad agreement, some important details remain unresolved. Trading venues operated by Deutsche Börse, the company behind the Frankfurt stock exchange, may remain outside ESMA’s direct supervision.

Euronews previously reported that Germany had secured an exemption for Deutsche Börse’s domestically focused trading venues, leaving part of the system under regional supervision. The latest announcement did not clarify whether that arrangement will stand.

A Step Forward For The Savings And Investments Union

Dutch Finance Minister Eelco Heinen welcomed the deal, calling it a major advance for the Capital Markets Union and saying Europe had made more progress in 10 months than in the previous 10 years.

The agreement is an important milestone in the Savings and Investments Union, the EU’s broader effort to channel more of Europeans’ savings into investments that can support growth, innovation and competitiveness across the bloc.

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