Tech giant Microsoft would be offering voluntary buyouts to as many as 60,000 employees, or roughly a quarter of its workforce, the company announced on Monday, as it seeks to trim costs while pouring money into artificial intelligence.
Staff on select teams in U.S., Canada, India and Britain at the vice president level and below will be eligible, a Microsoft spokesperson said, while some groups of employees, including some working on data centers, sales and marketing, are excluded.
"The Voluntary Exit Offer reflects an important part of how we're evolving our approach to change: creating greater flexibility and, where possible, more ways for employees to shape their next chapter," Amy Coleman, an executive vice president and chief people officer, told employees in a memo.
It's the second voluntary buyout offer that Microsoft has offered employees this year.
In April, the company reportedly offered around 7% of its U.S. workforce the option to retire early.
Around 30% of those eligible took the voluntary retirement plan, according to CNBC.
Microsoft had 223,000 employees globally at the end of June, down from 228,000 at the end of 2025, according to regulatory filings.
Around 27% of Microsoft's workforce is eligible for the new buyout offer.
The company is expected to report quarterly earnings later this week.
