Microsoft said on Monday that it is inviting about 60,000 employees to take voluntary buyouts, a group that makes up more than a quarter of its global workforce. The technology company framed the move as a way to rein in costs while it funds its heavy investment in artificial intelligence.
A source familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the matter is private, said staff across the Windows maker would be eligible. Teams working on AI experiences, Copilot, finance, human resources, Xbox, and Windows and devices are included. Marketing, commercial business and security units are excluded, the source added.
Who qualifies and how the offer works
In a staff memo, Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said the offer “gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support.” She added that it also gives participating organizations another way to adapt their workforce to changing needs.
Microsoft said the offer will be open to eligible employees in participating teams in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States, at level 70 and below. The company described it as a time-limited, voluntary program built on lessons from an earlier voluntary retirement program. Eligible employees will receive details within the next few hours, it said.
Heavy AI spending and recent job cuts
Like other large technology companies, Microsoft is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on AI data centers and chips. That spending has drawn scrutiny from investors who question whether the returns will justify the cost. The company is due to report first-quarter results after markets close on Wednesday, and it has forecast $175 billion in capital expenditures for the 2026 calendar year.
Microsoft had 223,000 full-time employees globally as of June 30, 2026, according to its annual filing. Its shares, which had risen about 10% this year, were up about 1% on Monday.
The company also offered voluntary buyouts to about 7% of its US workforce, or roughly 9,000 employees, earlier this year. In July, it announced plans to cut 4,800 jobs, or about 2.1% of its global workforce, as it overhauls its Xbox gaming business and divests up to five studios.
