Microsoft offers buyouts to up to 60,000 staff
Microsoft has opened a voluntary exit offer to as many as 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its workforce, the company says. Eligible staff in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States at level 70 and below may apply, and must decide by early December; those who accept leave on 31 Dec. The offer is the largest of its kind so far, following a retirement offer limited to about 9,000 staff earlier this year and a layoff of 4,800 months ago. Microsoft expects only a small share of eligible employees to accept. The company employed about 223,000 people as of 30 June, down from 228,000 a year earlier.
Key facts
- A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that AI, Copilot, finance, HR, Xbox and Windows + Devices teams are covered.
- Marketing, commercial business and security teams are excluded from the offer, according to Reuters.
- Microsoft cut 4 percent of its workforce in July of last year.
- CEO Satya Nadella said on a podcast almost two years ago that total people costs would fall.
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Why it matters
The offer signals further cuts to headcount at one of the largest technology employers, affecting thousands of workers across four countries.
What changed
First published from The Verge and Fortune