Meta and Apple — two of the top tech companies known for their office perks — missed out on this year's list of the top 100 places to work in the US for the first time in a decade by analytics firm Glassdoor.

Both companies ended up in the middle of the list last year. It is compiled on the basis of feedback over the past year from employees of companies with a staff of at least 1000 people. An analyst at Glassdoor said this year's rankings primarily emphasize general themes such as flexibility, transparency and communication. It also indicates the views of employees on the economic prospects of their companies.

“This is what we get feedback from employees about, this is what worries people when the economy starts to slow down. This list is especially helpful because we take into account how employees perceive their employers' business. It’s becoming more important than ever for people to really understand the health of a company, whether it’s financial or cultural well-being,” the analyst added.

Facebook changed its name to Meta in October 2021 to highlight its focus on the metaverse, and has since lost almost 60% of its value. Meta has cut more than 11,000 jobs in 2022, the largest wave of layoffs in the company's history. More than $9 billion in losses are reported. Last year, only 58% of respondents to an anonymous poll of Meta employees said they understood leadership's metaverse ambitions.

Apple, in turn, imposed a moratorium on hiring in 2022. Analysts believe that the company's drive to return employees to the office after working remotely during the pandemic may also have led to a sharp decline in its position in the ranking of the best places to work.

It should be noted that while Meta and Apple dropped out of the list, tech companies still dominated the US rankings, accounting for 40% of the top employers. Leading technology companies such as Microsoft, LinkedIn and Google made the top 20.

“This is just a reminder that we often see the changing of the guard during difficult times. There are older companies that can get stuck in their path, while newer companies can challenge and rise to the top,” said a Glassdoor spokesperson.