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Tech · October 26, 2026

Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 employees

7 sources →

On October 26, 2026, Microsoft announced a voluntary buyout program available to approximately 60,000 employees, roughly 27% of its global workforce of 223,000. Chief People Officer Amy Coleman informed staff via memo that the offer is open to eligible employees at the vice president level or below in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to reallocate resources toward artificial intelligence infrastructure, which the company expects to fund with $175 billion in 2026. The buyout follows earlier workforce reductions, including 9,000 job cuts in 2025 and 4,800 in mid-2026.

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Reported by multiple outlets

  • Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to approximately 60,000 employees.
  • The offer is available to eligible staff at the vice president level or below.
  • Eligible regions include the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India.
  • Microsoft Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the program in a memo on October 26, 2026.
  • The buyout program is intended to trim costs and retool the workforce for artificial intelligence development.
  • The offer excludes employees working in data center operations.

Reported by only some outlets

  • The New York Times reports that Microsoft cautioned it does not expect many employees to accept the packages.
  • The Verge and New York Post note that eligible teams include Xbox, Windows, Copilot, finance, and human resources.
  • The New York Post and Engadget report that workers have until December 31 to make a decision on the buyout.
  • CBS News reports Microsoft had 223,000 employees at the end of June 2024, down from 228,000 at the end of 2025.
  • CBS News and The Verge mention a previous round of 4,800 layoffs that occurred in July.
  • The New York Post reports that Microsoft laid off 9,000 employees in the previous year (2025).
  • CBS News reports that Microsoft planned a previous voluntary buyout for 8,750 people (7% of U.S. staff) in May.

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