Sama Layoffs
Industry Data · Location Nairobi · United States · Subscribe (RSS)
Sama has 2 publicly reported layoff rounds on record between September 12, 2022 and April 16, 2026. A total of about 1,108 employees were affected across these rounds.
Layoff history
The loss of a major Meta contract led Sama, a US-headquartered data-annotation firm, to lay off 1,108 employees at its Nairobi office in April 2026. The redundancy notice went out April 16, 2026, after the Meta engagement was terminated. That work had Sama staff labeling data to support Meta's AI and machine-learning systems, including tasks tied to its Ray-Ban smart glasses. The company said efforts to retain the engagement were unsuccessful and that it complied with Section 40 of Kenya's Employment Act on redundancy. Annepeace Alwala, Country Lead and VP for Global Delivery, said the immediate priority was supporting affected employees and ensuring continuity across broader operations. The cuts mark a significant blow to Nairobi's outsourced AI data-labeling sector.
Reason: Loss of major Meta data-annotation contract
Source: thekenyatimes.com
Sama disclosed a workforce reduction affecting its SF Bay Area operations in September 12, 2022.
Source: sama.com
Data for Sama is compiled from public WARN Act filings and reporting linked above. See our methodology.