Microsoft Widens Buyout Window to 60,000 Staff as AI Tab Hits $175B

Microsoft is offering voluntary exit packages to roughly 60,000 employees, about one-quarter of its global workforce, as it commits $175 billion to artificial intelligence infrastructure this year. The offer covers eligible workers at the vice president level or below in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States, the company said Monday. Eligible employees will be notified by email about the program.

Amy Coleman, Microsoft's chief people officer, described the program in a memo to employees. "This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support," Coleman wrote. Workers in data centers, sales and marketing are excluded from the program, Bloomberg reported, citing a company spokesperson.

The buyouts arrive as Microsoft's spending on AI infrastructure climbs. Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood told analysts on a July earnings call that the company expects to spend $175 billion on AI infrastructure in 2026, including investments in data centers.

Microsoft's workforce has already contracted this year. In May, the company planned buyouts for about 8,750 U.S. workers, 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, Microsoft said it was cutting 4,800 jobs, about 2% of its global workforce, including many workers in its business. Regulatory filings show headcount fell to 223,000 at the end of June from 228,000 at the end of 2025. Around 27% of the workforce qualifies for the new offer, according to Agence France-Presse.

The exit program is open for a limited period, and the company said it is designed to provide departing workers with severance and career-planning resources while reducing labor costs. Workers in some business units are ineligible, Microsoft said. Eligible employees will receive details of the offer by email on Monday.

The buyouts are the second voluntary exit program Microsoft has run in 2026, following the May offer to about 8,750 U.S. workers. The July job cuts brought the total number of positions affected this year to about 4,800, and Microsoft's global headcount stood at 223,000 at the end of June.