Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 workers as it pours money into AI

Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees, or roughly one-quarter of its workers worldwide, as the technology company spends more money on artificial intelligence (AI).

Microsoft said on Monday that eligible employees in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States can take part in the voluntary exit program. To qualify, employees must be at the vice president level or below.

"This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support," Amy Coleman, Microsoft's chief people officer, said in a memo to employees.

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

This is the second time Microsoft has offered workers voluntary buyouts this year. In May, the company planned to offer buyouts to about 8,750 people, or 7% of its U.S. workforce, the Associated Press reported. The report cited two people who knew about the plan but were not allowed to discuss it publicly.

In July, the company said it was cutting 4,800 jobs, or about 2% of its global workforce. Many of those jobs were in its Xbox video game business.

Microsoft had 223,000 employees worldwide at the end of June, down from 228,000 at the end of 2025, according to company filings with regulators. About 27% of its workers qualify for the new buyout offer, Agence France-Presse reported.

Microsoft said the offer is available to mid-level workers for a limited time. It is meant to help employees leave the company with financial support and resources to plan their next careers. It also allows Microsoft to reduce its labor costs.

Eligible employees will receive an email about the offer on Monday, Coleman said.

Some employees cannot take part because of the business units they work in, the company said. These include employees who focus on data centers and those who work in sales and marketing, Bloomberg reported, citing a company spokesperson.