Microsoft launches voluntary buyout program for up to 60,000 staff
Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to roughly 60,000 employees, representing more than a quarter of its global workforce, as part of a cost-containment effort linked to its AI spending.
Microsoft announced a voluntary buyout program that will be open to about 60,000 employees, or over 25% of its worldwide staff. The offer applies to workers in areas such as AI experiences, Copilot, finance, human resources, Xbox and Windows + Devices, while units like marketing, commercial business and security are excluded.
"This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support. It also gives participating organizations another way to adapt their workforce to changing needs," Chief People Officer Amy Coleman wrote in an internal memo.
The program, described as time-limited and voluntary, will be available to eligible employees in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States at level 70 and below. Details are expected to be shared with participants within hours.
Microsoft, which had 223,000 full-time employees worldwide as of June 30, 2026, has been investing heavily in AI data centers and chips, forecasting $175 billion in capital expenditures for the 2026 calendar year. Earlier in the year the company offered voluntary buyouts to about 9,000 U.S. staff, and in July it cut 4,800 jobs, roughly 2.1% of its global workforce, as part of a restructuring of its Xbox division. Shares rose about 1% following the announcement.