Microsoft Buyouts: 60,000 Employees Offered Early Exit

Microsoft announced on Monday that it is offering voluntary buyouts to approximately 60,000 employees.

This move affects roughly one-quarter of the company’s global workforce. The voluntary exit offers are available to eligible staff in the United States, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. To qualify, employees must hold a position at the vice president level or below.

The company is making these changes to support its rapid expansion in artificial intelligence. Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood stated in a July earnings call that Microsoft expects to spend $175 billion on AI infrastructure in 2026. These funds will go toward data centers and other AI-related projects. The buyout program allows the company to reduce labor costs while providing departing workers with financial support and career-planning resources.

This is the second time Microsoft has offered voluntary buyouts this year. In May, the company planned to offer buyouts to about 8,750 people, which represented 7% of its U.S. workforce. Later in July, Microsoft cut 4,800 jobs, or about 2% of its global staff, including many business employees. Regulatory filings show that Microsoft had 223,000 employees at the end of June, down from 228,000 at the end of 2025.

Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s chief people officer, sent a memo to employees explaining the decision. “This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support,” Coleman wrote. The company noted that the offer is available for a limited period. Some business units are ineligible for the buyout, including those focused on data centers and sales and marketing teams.

Eligible employees received an email with details of the offer on Monday. The program is designed for mid-level workers who wish to leave the company with financial padding. Microsoft hopes this transition will help it reallocate resources toward its growing AI operations.