Microsoft Buyouts
Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 workers, about a quarter of its staff, as AI spending surges.
Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its global workforce. The company is pouring billions into artificial intelligence instead.
Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the program Monday in a memo posted to Microsoft's blog, CBS News and Fortune reported. Eligible workers hold the vice president level or below in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and India.
The money behind the move is steep. Microsoft expects to spend $175 billion on AI infrastructure this year, Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood told analysts in July, according to CBS News. By the end of June, the company employed about 223,000 people worldwide, down from 228,000 at the close of 2025, CBS News reported.
Not everyone qualifies. Data center workers are excluded. So are sales and marketing staff, Bloomberg reported, according to CBS News. Crypto Briefing, citing a source who spoke to Reuters, reported that marketing, commercial business and security staff are also off the list.
Workers who accept get a standard severance package, Fortune reported. In the U.S., that means at least eight weeks of pay, continued stock vesting, health coverage and career support, a Microsoft spokesperson told Fortune. Employees have until early December to decide and would leave Dec. 31, Deadline reported.
"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, according to CBS News and Fortune.
Microsoft ran a smaller version of the program earlier this year, offering buyouts to about 8,750 U.S. employees, or 7% of its domestic workforce, Deadline reported. Roughly 30% of those workers took the deal. Then in July, Microsoft cut 4,800 jobs, about 2% of its global workforce, mostly in its Xbox gaming unit, CBS News reported.
Executives are heading out too. LinkedIn chief Ryan Roslansky and chief communications officer Frank X. Shaw have announced plans to leave, Fortune reported. Gaming chief Phil Spencer retired earlier this year. Three executives, gone or going.
Across the tech industry, between 3% and 5% of employees offered buyouts usually accept, Fortune reported. Google offered buyouts to some staff in June, and Amazon has cut thousands of jobs since late 2025, Fortune reported.
Microsoft reports quarterly earnings Wednesday. Shares rose 1% the day the buyout program was announced, Crypto Briefing reported.