Microsoft is offering voluntary exit packages to approximately 60,000 employees as the technology company seeks to manage its workforce while continuing to invest heavily in artificial intelligence.
The programme covers eligible employees at vice-president level and below across selected teams in the United States, Canada, India and Britain, a Microsoft spokesperson said. Certain groups, including some employees working in data centres, sales and marketing, are excluded from the offer.
Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s executive vice-president and chief people officer, said in an internal memo that the voluntary exit programme was intended to provide employees with greater flexibility and opportunities to decide their next career steps.
The offer represents Microsoft’s second voluntary departure programme this year. In April, the company reportedly offered early retirement to approximately 7% of its US workforce. CNBC reported that around 30% of employees eligible for that programme accepted the offer.
Microsoft had 223,000 employees globally at the end of June, down from 228,000 at the end of 2025, according to regulatory filings cited in the report. Approximately 27% of its workforce is eligible for the latest offer.
The initiative comes as major technology companies reassess staffing requirements while committing substantial resources to AI infrastructure, computing capacity and product development. Microsoft’s investments in AI include infrastructure to support advanced models and the integration of AI tools across its software and cloud services.
Voluntary exit programmes allow companies to reduce headcount by offering eligible employees incentives to leave, rather than relying exclusively on compulsory layoffs. The latest initiative could therefore help Microsoft adjust staffing levels while giving employees the option to leave under the programme’s terms.
The timing also places workforce management in focus ahead of Microsoft’s quarterly earnings announcement, expected later this week.
The company has not disclosed in the supplied report how many employees it expects to accept the latest offer or the total savings it anticipates from the programme.
Source: NDTV
