Microsoft Offers Voluntary Buyouts to Roughly 60,000 Employees Across Four Countries

Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees globally, Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced Monday in a staff memo. The "Voluntary Exit Offer" covers select teams in the U.S., Canada, India and the United Kingdom at job level 70 and below, a band that could include some senior staff. Coleman described the program as time-limited, giving eligible employees "the opportunity to leave Microsoft with financial support and career planning resources." Affected staff will receive emails with links to their offers in the coming hours. The move follows July cuts of roughly 4,800 roles, about 2.1% of Microsoft's global workforce at the time, concentrated in its commercial and Xbox gaming divisions. The company also offered early retirement this year, with more than 30% of eligible employees opting in; Microsoft said it would "continue exploring similar approaches in the future."