Microsoft launches voluntary buyout program for roughly 60,000 employees
The tech company announced a new voluntary exit offer covering about a quarter of its global workforce as it redirects spending toward artificial-intelligence initiatives.
Microsoft said on Monday that it will extend a voluntary buyout program to approximately 60,000 staff members, representing about 27% of its global workforce. The offer applies to employees at vice-president level and below on selected teams in the United States, Canada, India and Britain, while workers in certain data-centre, sales and marketing groups are excluded.
"The Voluntary Exit Offer reflects an important part of how we're evolving our approach to change: creating greater flexibility and, where possible, more ways for employees to shape their next chapter," executive vice president and chief people officer Amy Coleman wrote in an internal memo.
The initiative follows a similar voluntary retirement program introduced in April, which gave around seven percent of the U.S. staff the option to retire early; about 30 percent of those eligible accepted the offer, according to a report.
Microsoft's total headcount stood at 223,000 employees worldwide at the end of June, down from 228,000 at the close of 2025, according to regulatory filings. The company is slated to release its quarterly earnings later this week.