Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees, over a quarter of its 223,000-person global workforce, according to Bloomberg. The program targets vice president level and below, with terms similar to standard severance packages. Employees working on data centers are ineligible.
This move appears part of Microsoft's broader effort to cut costs and retool its workforce for the AI era. The company has invested nearly $175 billion in data centers and AI infrastructure in 2026, opening 90 hyperscale facilities this year. Despite massive spending on AI projects, Microsoft has been laying off employees across divisions, including thousands in the Xbox division.
Earlier this year, only 30% of eligible workers accepted similar buyout offers, so participation rates remain uncertain for this round.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing