Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees
publishers 75articles 115first reported 6 Oct, 18:16 UTCdeveloping since 7 Oct · 25 editions
Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, more than a quarter of its global workforce, as the company seeks to control costs while investing heavily in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The time-limited program covers eligible employees in the United States, Canada, Britain and India. Reuters reported that participating teams include AI experiences, Copilot, finance, human resources, Xbox and Windows + Devices, while some groups—including marketing, commercial business and security—are excluded. Other reporting said data-center workers are also ineligible.
“This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support,” Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said in a staff memo. She added that it would give participating organizations another way to adjust their workforces to changing needs.
Microsoft employed about 223,000 people as of June 30. The company has forecast $175 billion in capital expenditures for the 2026 calendar year, much of it directed toward AI data centers and chips.
The number of employees who will accept the offer is not yet known. Microsoft previously offered voluntary buyouts to about 9,000 U.S. employees earlier in 2026. It also announced 4,800 job cuts in July as part of an overhaul of its Xbox business and the divestment of up to five studios.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 8 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 486 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 75
- Source articles
- 115
- Given to the writer
- 8, 8 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 486 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →