Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to over 60,000 employees
Microsoft has initiated a voluntary exit program for approximately 25% of its workforce as the company shifts spending toward artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Microsoft is offering voluntary buyout packages to roughly 60,000 employees across Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Chief People Officer Amy Coleman stated the program is intended for staff considering career changes, though it also serves to reduce headcount in specific business units, including AI experiences, Windows, and Xbox.
The initiative follows a period of heavy capital expenditure for the firm, which has prioritized massive investments in data centers and AI hardware. Microsoft currently forecasts $175 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, forcing the company to rebalance its workforce allocations to accommodate these shifting priorities.
This marks the second buyout program this year, following a smaller effort in April that targeted senior-level staff. The company, which employs approximately 223,000 full-time workers, has also engaged in targeted layoffs throughout the summer to restructure its commercial sales and gaming divisions.
While the company has not disclosed the specific financial terms of these new packages, the move reflects a broader trend among major technology firms to streamline operations. Microsoft maintains that the program will be applied based on the unique needs of individual business units.