Microsoft announced voluntary buyouts for about 60,000 employees on Monday, offering roughly 27% of its global workforce an option to leave with financial support.
The programme covers eligible staff in the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom. It applies to selected teams at vice-president level and below.
However, Microsoft has excluded some employees in data centres, sales and marketing. Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the Voluntary Exit Offer in a message to employees.
Coleman said the initiative would give workers more flexibility and let participating divisions adjust staffing.
Eligible employees can receive financial assistance and career planning resources if they accept the offer. Microsoft has not announced how many employees it expects to leave.
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The company employed approximately 223,000 people worldwide at the end of June. Its workforce has contracted following earlier job reductions. This is Microsoft’s second voluntary departure programme of 2026.
Earlier this year, the company offered early retirement to approximately 7% of its US employees. Around 30% of those eligible accepted the previous offer.
Microsoft also cut nearly 5,000 jobs in July, including in its Xbox gaming division. The new programme comes amid heavy investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure.
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Microsoft has forecast $175 billion in capital spending for calendar 2026, down from an earlier estimate of $190 billion.
Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood previously said roughly two-thirds of infrastructure spending involved shorter-lived assets, particularly chips. The company is due to release its next quarterly earnings later this week.
