Meta's Q3 2026 headcount will reflect the tail end of its May 2026 restructuring, which cut roughly 8,000 roles—about 10% of the workforce—to fund aggressive AI infrastructure spending and improve efficiency. Official figures showed 75,472 employees at the end of Q2, already incorporating some severance impacts, with the majority of those reductions expected to clear the books by September 30. LinkedIn and alternative data sources indicate modest growth in observed profiles amid ongoing hiring in priority areas like monetization and data centers, yet Meta's reported headcount in regulatory filings remains the resolution benchmark. Traders are watching the upcoming Q3 earnings release, likely in late October, for the precise year-over-year and sequential change amid continued cost discipline.