Story perspectives

Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees

By Drooid · Oct 26, 2026, 10:38 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Microsoft Offers Buyouts

Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, about 27% of its workforce.
Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the offer in a Monday blog post.
The buyout program covers staff in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India.
Microsoft cut 4,800 jobs in July, about 2.1% of its global workforce.

Summary

Microsoft Shares Rise

Microsoft’s shares rose about 1% after announcing a voluntary buyout program.
Analysts say investors will watch whether Microsoft’s $175 billion AI spending generates returns.
Microsoft expects far fewer workers to take the new buyout than the earlier retirement-age offer.
About 30% of roughly 8,750 eligible employees accepted the previous retirement-age buyout.

History

Historical Context

Microsoft’s 2026 voluntary exit offer to 60,000 staff—about a quarter of its workforce—continues a pattern of periodic right-sizing that began with the 2014 post-Nokia acquisition cut of 18,000 jobs under CEO Satya Nadella. Similar sweeps in 2015, 2025 and earlier years have funded shifts toward cloud and the current AI push.

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Microsoft Offers Buyouts

Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees, about 27% of its workforce.
Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the offer in a Monday blog post.
The buyout program covers staff in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and India.
Microsoft cut 4,800 jobs in July, about 2.1% of its global workforce.

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