Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to as many as 60,000 employees across the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and India, as the technology group looks to reduce its workforce without carrying out another round of layoffs. The offer was described in a message to staff from Amy Coleman, Microsoft's chief people officer.
In the message, Coleman wrote that the scheme gives employees «the opportunity to leave Microsoft with financial support and career planning resources». Sources familiar with the situation told The Verge that staff across the company are eligible for the voluntary exit offers, including those working in its AI experiences, Copilot, CoreAI, Windows and Devices, Xbox, finance and human resources teams.
The approach marks a shift from forced cuts towards voluntary departures, although the company has not publicly confirmed how many staff are expected to accept. Reports from CNBC, Bloomberg and Sky News on the same day described the offer as part of Microsoft's latest cost-cutting measures, and Sky News highlighted that UK workers are among those eligible.
The move comes as large technology companies continue to weigh spending on artificial intelligence against the need to control operating costs. Microsoft has been investing heavily in AI products, including its Copilot assistant, while also reviewing how its staff are deployed across divisions such as cloud and AI, Windows and Devices, and Xbox.
Employees who opt to leave will receive financial support and access to career planning resources, according to the internal message. Microsoft's broader plans for headcount beyond the buyouts have not been detailed in the reporting available, and the company's eventual numbers will depend on how many staff take up the offer.