Laid off from Meta? Here's exactly what to do next.

If you were laid off from Meta, the most time-sensitive thing you can do is file for unemployment with New York State Department of Labor as soon as your last day is effective. Benefits are generally not paid retroactively, so filing in the first week protects income you can't get back. Everything else — severance, health coverage, the search — follows from there.

The Meta WARN filing(s)

This is the public record filed with New York State Department of Labor under the WARN Act:

Source: New York State Department of Labor WARN report (public record). Reported figures total 1,160 affected positions. For New York filings, “notice date” is the date NYSDOL posted the notice to its public WARN dashboard (when the filing became public record); “effective date” is the layoff/closure start date the employer reported. View the official New York WARN report.

What to do if you were laid off from Meta

1. File for unemployment now. Start your claim with New York State Department of Labor: https://dol.ny.gov/unemployment/file-your-first-claim-benefits. Don't wait for paperwork to settle.
2. Check your final pay. New York generally requires final wages by the next regular payday, and earned unused vacation is payable if the employer's written policy provides for it.
3. Read any severance before you sign. In New York, severance paid at more than the maximum weekly benefit rate and starting within 30 days of your last day can delay unemployment benefits — report it when you file and confirm with NYSDOL. New York's own WARN Act also requires 90 days' notice from covered employers. See our guide to severance and unemployment.
4. Secure health coverage. Employer coverage usually ends at month's end; losing it opens a special-enrollment window. Compare COBRA against a Marketplace plan — see the full after-a-layoff checklist.
5. Start a focused search. Rebuild your resume around outcomes and apply selectively. Tailoring each application beats mass-blasting one generic resume.

Your WARN notice also means you likely have a 60-day runway between notice and your effective date — use it to line up your next move before the income gap starts. More on your New York WARN rights.