Meta Contractor in Ireland Faces Mass Layoffs Affecting Over 700 Workers

More than 700 workers employed by a Meta contractor in Ireland face potential layoffs as the tech giant accelerates its shift toward artificial intelligence (AI) automation, according to internal documents and worker accounts. The affected employees, based in Dublin, are primarily data annotators tasked with refining Meta’s AI models by reviewing and labeling content to ensure compliance with company policies.

Meta’s AI Push Triggers Job Cuts at Contractor Covalen

The layoffs target staff at Covalen, a Dublin-based firm that provides content moderation and AI training services for Meta. The company, a subsidiary of CPL, employs approximately 2,000 people at its Sandyford headquarters, with additional operations in Limerick. The proposed redundancies were communicated to workers during a brief video meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, where employees were not permitted to ask questions, according to accounts from those present.

An email reviewed by WIRED confirms that over 700 positions are at risk, including roughly 500 data annotators. These workers play a critical role in training Meta’s AI systems by evaluating outputs for harmful or illegal content, such as child sexual abuse material or self-harm-related posts. Their work involves crafting prompts to test AI guardrails, a process one employee described as “grueling” and “undignified.”

“We take actions as the perfect decision for the AI to emulate.”

Anonymous Covalen employee, speaking to WIRED

Nick Bennett, a Covalen employee who attended the layoff announcement, told WIRED that workers had anticipated the cuts following Meta’s broader workforce reduction plans. “We had a pretty bad feeling [before the meeting],” he said. “This has happened before.”

Union Calls for Government Intervention

The Communications Workers’ Union (CWU), which represents hundreds of Covalen employees, has demanded direct negotiations with company management and government officials. In a statement, the union criticized Meta’s AI ambitions, arguing that workers should not “pay the price” for the company’s automation strategy. The CWU has requested meetings with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke to discuss fair redundancy packages and potential policy responses.

Covalen has framed the layoffs as part of a broader restructuring effort. In a statement, the company said it is “engaging directly and proactively” with affected teams and conducting consultations on “potential redundancies.” The move follows a previous round of job cuts at Covalen in November 2025, which put 400 positions at risk. Approximately 200 workers left the company as a result of those redundancies, according to reports.

Workers staged industrial action in January 2026 outside Covalen’s Sandyford offices, protesting what they described as a “lack of meaningful engagement” from management regarding redundancy terms. The CWU has also called on Meta to waive its six-month “cooling-off” period, which restricts former contractors from working with other Meta vendors.

Meta’s Broader Workforce Reductions

The layoffs at Covalen coincide with Meta’s announcement last week that it would cut 10% of its global workforce, affecting approximately 8,000 positions. The company has cited efficiency improvements and increased investment in AI as key drivers behind the restructuring. While Meta has not specified how many of its Irish employees will be impacted, local staff are expected to receive details next month.

Meta’s pivot toward AI has raised concerns about the long-term viability of content moderation and data annotation roles. Workers at Covalen have expressed frustration that their labor is effectively training AI systems designed to replace them. “It’s essentially training the AI to take over our jobs,” one employee told WIRED.

AI’s Growing Role in Content Moderation

The layoffs highlight the tension between AI advancement and human labor in content moderation. While AI models can process vast amounts of data, they still rely on human annotators to refine their outputs and ensure compliance with platform policies. However, as AI systems become more sophisticated, companies like Meta are increasingly automating these roles to reduce costs.

Covalen’s work for Meta extends beyond AI training to include content moderation for the company’s social media platforms. The firm also provides back-office administration and support services for other industries, including finance, and utilities. Despite the redundancies, Covalen’s website states it employs over 2,500 people across its Dublin and Limerick operations.

What Comes Next

The CWU has called for urgent government intervention to address the impact of AI-driven job losses in Ireland. Deputy General Secretary Ian McArdle warned that the layoffs reflect broader economic risks posed by automation, noting that workers had hoped to be “safe for a time” after previous cuts. “We know the real reason behind these cuts,” he said, alluding to Meta’s AI investments.

For now, affected Covalen employees await further details on redundancy packages and potential severance terms. The company has not provided a timeline for the completion of the consultation process, but the layoffs are expected to proceed in the coming weeks.

The situation at Covalen underscores the growing displacement of human labor in AI development, particularly in roles that involve repetitive or emotionally taxing tasks. As Meta and other tech giants accelerate their AI initiatives, the future of content moderation and data annotation jobs remains uncertain.