Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to roughly 60,000 workers across four countries

Microsoft is offering voluntary exit packages to approximately 60,000 employees, representing over a quarter of its 223,000-person global workforce. The program is open to selected staff in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and India, with departures set for December 31. Workers have until the first week of December to accept the terms. [1][2][4][5]

The buyout is available to employees up to level 70 on Microsoft's internal pay scale, covering roles up to general managers and certain vice presidents, but excluding corporate vice presidents. The package matches standard severance, providing tenure-based pay, continued stock vesting, fixed healthcare coverage, and career transition support. However, division participation varies: units such as data center operations, sales, and marketing are excluded, while teams across Windows, Xbox, finance, and AI experiences are eligible. [2][3][4][5]

The buyout initiative follows roughly 4,800 layoffs in July and an earlier voluntary retirement scheme taken by around 30 percent of eligible older staff. Microsoft is seeking to rein in operating costs as it commits massive capital expenditure toward artificial intelligence, having directed nearly $175 billion toward data centers and AI infrastructure in 2026. [1][2][5]