REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft on Monday announced a voluntary buyout program open to about 60,000 eligible employees, more than a quarter of its global workforce, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.
The company reported about 223,000 full-time employees worldwide as of June 30, 2026. The time-limited offer is available to eligible workers at level 70 and below in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Canada and India, with participation varying by business unit.
Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s chief people officer, wrote in a company blog post that the program is meant to create “more ways for employees to shape their next chapter.” Eligible employees were to be notified by email within hours.
The program was first reported by Business Insider. Earlier this year, Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to about 9,000 U.S. employees, and in July it announced about 4,800 job cuts as it overhauled its Xbox business.
Microsoft and other tech giants are spending heavily on AI data centers and chips, which has prompted cost cuts in other parts of their operations.
Sources: FOX 10 Phoenix. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Jelson25 / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
