Meta Platforms Inc. is reportedly set to initiate its anticipated company-wide layoffs next week. This move comes as the company is also expediting the hiring of machine learning engineers. Meta has notified employees about upcoming layoffs on Friday, according to an internal memo. According to the company, affected employees in most countries, including the U.S., will begin receiving notifications at 5 a.m. local time on Monday. However, due to local labor laws, staff in Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands will not be impacted. Meanwhile, employees across more than a dozen countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa will be informed between Feb. 11 and Feb. 18, the report added. In January, Meta confirmed plans to cut approximately 5% of its “lowest performers” while backfilling at least some of the positions. Meta's Head of People, Janelle Gale, described the layoffs as “performance terminations.” She also clarified that the cuts would not result in office closures or any furth...