Microsoft offers voluntary exits to about 60,000 eligible staff

Microsoft opened a Voluntary Exit Offer on Monday, October 26, 2026 to about 60,000 employees, roughly 27 percent of its 223,000 person workforce and the company's second voluntary buyout program this year. The offer covers staff at level 70 and below, up to vice president level, in participating teams in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and India, including parts of Copilot, Xbox, Windows and Devices, finance, and human resources. Teams working on data centers, sales, and marketing are largely excluded. Terms mirror the standard severance package, with financial support and career planning resources; decisions are due in early December and those who accept leave on December 31. The 60,000 figure is the eligible pool, not a departure target, and Microsoft has announced no target number.

Chief People Officer Amy Coleman's memo does not mention AI and frames the offer as flexibility in how the company manages change, while AI infrastructure spending climbs. The pairing is the story: headcount flexibility on one side, data center spending on the other, in the same week Meta moved to raise up to $95 billion in new stock for the same buildout.

Sources: Engadget; AFP via HK Businesswire