Meta is laying off employees at WhatsApp and Instagram, Reuters’ The Verge reports

(Reuters) – Meta (NASDAQ:) is laying off employees across its divisions, including Instagram, WhatsApp and Reality Labs, The Verge reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

A Meta spokesman told Reuters in a statement that some of its teams were making changes to align with their long-term strategic goals and site strategy.

“This includes moving some teams to other locations and moving some employees to other roles. In situations like these where a role is eliminated, we work hard to find other options for the affected employees,” the spokesperson said.

The Verge report did not specify the exact number of job cuts, but noted that they were minor cuts. Meta also did not comment on the numbers.

Separately, the Financial Times reported that Meta fired another two dozen employees in Los Angeles for allegedly using their $25 daily food allowance to purchase household items such as acne pads, wine glasses and laundry detergent.

These dismissals are independent of the team restructuring and took place last week, the FT report said.

Meta declined to comment on the FT report.

Meta has cut around 21,000 jobs since November 2022 to keep costs down, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg calling 2023 the “year of efficiency.”

Meta shares are up more than 60% this year.

In its most recent second-quarter results, Meta beat market revenue expectations and issued rosy third-quarter revenue guidance. This signals that robust digital advertising spending on its social media platforms can cover the costs of its investments in artificial intelligence.