Microsoft Reportedly Offers Voluntary Buyouts to 60,000 Workers
That total represents over a quarter of the company's global workforce.
Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 workers, according to reports. The company employs approximately 223,000 people, meaning this initiative would impact more than a quarter of its total global workforce.
Select employees at the vice president level and below are eligible for the program. The terms of the buyout are reported to be similar to a standard Microsoft severance package.
The Voluntary Exit Offer aims to provide greater flexibility and additional options for employees to shape their next chapter, according to internal communications.
AI Infrastructure Shift
Certain groups are excluded from the program, including teams working directly on data centers. The restructuring appears to be part of the company's broader effort to trim expenses and retool its workforce for the artificial intelligence era.
Microsoft has dedicated massive financial resources toward data centers and AI infrastructure, with massive sums allocated in 2026 alone. To support this demand, the corporation has expanded its network of hyperscale data centers significantly.
While large-scale AI construction projects continue to receive heavy funding, other departments have faced downsizing. The Xbox division and various other teams have previously experienced substantial personnel reductions.
Analysts note that because this is a voluntary program, the final number of departing employees remains uncertain. Microsoft enacted a similar program previously where only a portion of eligible workers ultimately accepted the terms.
