Microsoft Offers Buyouts to ~60,000 Employees
Original: Microsoft offers buyouts to around 60,000 employees, reports say
Why This Matters
Scale of offer signals how aggressively big tech is reshaping headcount around AI priorities.
Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, India, and the U.K., targeting staff at the VP level and below, as the company restructures toward AI, per Business Insider and Bloomberg.
Microsoft is extending voluntary exit offers to roughly 60,000 employees, according to reports from Business Insider and Bloomberg. Eligible workers include those at the vice president level and below on select teams across four countries: the U.S., Canada, India, and the U.K. Certain groups are excluded — data center workers, along with sales and marketing staff, won't receive the offer. Chief People Officer Amy Coleman sent a company-wide note Monday framing the program as giving employees "greater flexibility" and "more ways to shape their next chapter." Those who accept will receive a severance-equivalent benefits package. This isn't Microsoft's first buyout push in 2026. Earlier this year, the company targeted retirement-age employees specifically, with over 30% of the approximately 8,750 eligible workers taking the deal. The latest round is significantly broader in scope and signals continued workforce restructuring tied to Microsoft's AI investment strategy. Microsoft had not responded to TechCrunch's request for comment at time of publication.