Episode

Call it the "Great Flattening"

Podcast: Marketplace All-in-One
Published: May 21, 2026
Duration seconds: 376
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Canonical source: https://www.marketplace.org/episode/2026/05/21/call-it-the-great-flattening
Audio: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/5/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/play.publicradio.org/podcast/o/marketplace/morning_report/2026/05/21/mmr_20260521_MMR_Podcast_2_64.mp3?awCollectionId=mkp-AllNOne&awEpisodeId=01KS574GY4YQY99B7S6JAVXYR3
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Summary

About 8,000 Meta employees lost their jobs this week. The company is looking to offset its massive AI spending and “operate with a flatter structure." 'Flatness' has become a common refrain when tech companies shed jobs. It refers to the elimination of layers of middle-management roles, as AI agents take over some coordinating functions. Also on the show: Nvidia faces stiffer competition, and we learn about advancements in radiation cancer therapies.