Microsoft launches voluntary buyout program for up to 60,000 staff

Microsoft said on Monday that it will extend voluntary buyout offers to roughly 60,000 employees worldwide, representing about 27% of its staff. The program applies to workers at the vice-president level or below in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States and will be communicated by email.

"This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support," wrote Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s chief people officer, in an internal memo.

The move follows a previous buyout initiative in May that targeted about 8,750 U.S. employees and a July announcement that cut 4,800 jobs, roughly 2% of the global workforce, including positions in the Xbox division. Microsoft reported having 223,000 employees at the end of June, down from 228,000 at the end of 2025.

Chief financial officer Amy Hood told analysts that the company expects to invest $175 billion in AI infrastructure, such as data-center expansion, in 2026. The buyout program is presented as a limited-time option that provides financial assistance and career-planning resources while helping Microsoft reduce labor costs.