Microsoft Offers Buyouts to 60,000 Employees, Covering Nearly a Quarter of Its Workforce
Microsoft is extending voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees as it works to control costs while funding heavy spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure. The program covers roughly 27 percent of the company’s global headcount of approximately 223,000 as of June 30, 2026.
Eligible staff are those at the vice president level and below on participating teams in the United States, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. Teams involved include Windows, Copilot, finance, human resources, and Xbox. Sales, marketing, security, and certain engineering and corporate functions are excluded.
Workers who accept will receive packages comparable to standard severance. Eligible employees have until early December to decide, with departures set for the end of the year. Microsoft has said it expects lower uptake than its earlier voluntary retirement program, which drew roughly 30 percent acceptance from a smaller group of longer-tenured U.S. employees.
The move follows a year in which Microsoft reduced its workforce by about 5,000 and continues to balance large capital outlays for AI data centers with operational efficiency.
Company officials describe the offers as a way for employees considering a transition to do so with support, while giving teams flexibility to adjust staffing.