Satya Nadella-led Microsoft is reportedly offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 of its employees, or more than a quarter of its global workforce, as the Big Tech giant seeks to contain costs and fund its massive investments in artificial intelligence (AI).
Employees across several divisions, including AI experiences, Copilot, finance, human resources, Xbox and Windows + Devices, will be eligible for the offers, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Marketing, commercial business and security teams will be excluded, stated another report from The Business Insider, which first broke the news.
“This offer gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support,” Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said in a staff memo.
“The programme also gives participating organisations another way to adapt their workforce to changing needs,” she added.
The latest voluntary buyout programme would be available to eligible employees at level 70 and below in participating teams in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The move comes as Microsoft and other technology giants pour hundreds of billions of dollars into AI infrastructure, including data centres and chips.
The scale of spending, simultaneously, has drawn scrutiny from investors concerned about whether the investments will generate sufficient returns.
Microsoft has forecast USD 175 billion in capital expenditures for the 2026 calendar year.
It will be reporting its first-quarter results after markets close on Wednesday.
According to its annual filing, Microsoft had 223,000 full-time employees globally as of June 30, 2026. Shares of the company, which had risen about 10% this year, were up approximately 1% on Monday.
The latest offer follows a series of workforce reductions and restructuring measures.
Earlier this year, Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to about 7% of its American workforce, equivalent to approximately 9,000 employees.
In July, the company announced plans to cut 4,800 jobs, or about 2.1% of its global workforce, as it overhauled its Xbox gaming business.
The restructuring also involved plans to divest up to five studios as Microsoft sought to improve returns after years of heavy investment in the division.
The company described the offer as a time-limited, voluntary programme that builds on insights gained from an earlier voluntary retirement initiative.