Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 workers as it invests in AI

Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, about a quarter of its global workforce, as the tech giant invests more in artificial intelligence.

So-called voluntary separation offers are available to eligible employees in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States, Microsoft said in announcing the buyout program on Monday. Employees must be at the vice president level or below to be eligible for a buyout.

“This offer gives eligible employees who are considering a future outside of the company a new choice to make that transition now with support,” Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s chief human resources officer, said in a memo to employees.

Microsoft plans to spend $175 billion on AI infrastructure, including through investments in data centers, in 2026 alone, Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood said during a July earnings conference call with Wall Street analysts.

The exit program is the second voluntary buyout offer that Microsoft has offered to workers this year. In May, Microsoft planned to offer buyouts to about 8,750 people, or 7% of its U.S. workforce, the Associated Press reported, citing two people familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak publicly.

In July, the company announced it was cutting 4,800 jobs, or about 2% of its global workforce, including many workers in its industry. Xbox video game business.

Microsoft had 223,000 employees worldwide at the end of June, up 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, according to Agence France-Presse.

The offer is available to mid-level workers for a limited period of time, according to Microsoft. It is designed to allow them to leave the company with financial support and career planning resources, while saving the company on labor costs.

Eligible employees will be notified of the offer by email Monday, Coleman said.

Workers in certain business units are not eligible for the buyout, the company said. They include employees focused on data centers and those who work in sales and marketing, Bloomberg reported, citing a company spokesperson.