Microsoft Offers Voluntary Exit Packages to About 60,000 Employees
publishers 121articles 145first reported 26 Oct, 15:35 UTCdeveloping since 26 Oct · 7 editions
Microsoft is offering voluntary exit packages to about 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its global workforce, in selected teams across the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom.
The time-limited Voluntary Exit Offer applies to eligible employees at Microsoft’s internal level 70 and below, a group that extends into senior leadership. Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said participation varies according to each business’s priorities, customer commitments and workforce needs. Employees who accept will receive financial support and career-planning resources.
A person familiar with the program told Reuters that participating areas include AI experiences, Copilot, finance, human resources, Xbox, and Windows and Devices. Marketing, commercial business and security are excluded, while other reports said some data-center and sales employees are also ineligible. Eligible workers are expected to receive details directly from Microsoft and have until early December to decide.
The offer comes as Microsoft invests heavily in artificial-intelligence infrastructure and data centers while managing costs. The company has not said the program is intended to replace workers with AI, and a spokesperson told Fortune that Microsoft does not expect it to reduce headcount significantly.
Microsoft reported 223,000 full-time employees worldwide as of June 30. Earlier in 2026, it offered a voluntary retirement package to about 9,000 U.S. employees and later announced thousands of job cuts connected to its Xbox business.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 7 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 96 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 121
- Source articles
- 145
- Given to the writer
- 8, 7 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 96 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 →