Story perspectives

Microsoft Offers Voluntary Buyouts for 60,000 Employees

By Drooid · Oct 29, 2026 · How we work

Read the story

Story summary

Summary

Microsoft announced voluntary buyouts for roughly 60,000 employees, covering about a quarter of its 223,000-person workforce.
Azure cloud revenue reached $33.17 billion, a 48% year-on-year increase, disclosed in dollars for the first time.
Microsoft Cloud revenue grew to $63.9 billion, up 30% from the prior year.
Microsoft shares rose about 2% after announcing the voluntary buyout program.
Chief People Officer Amy Coleman expects a 3%-5% acceptance rate, fewer than 3,000 employees.

History

Since the early 2010s Cisco has repeatedly trimmed staff—3,000 jobs in 2011, 4,000 in 2013, 6,000 in 2014, and over 4,000 in February 2024—as market slowdown and fierce competition forced tighter cost controls. The same pressure spurred Microsoft to launch a 2024 severance program affecting tens of thousands of employees, illustrating a broader tech-industry shift toward large-scale layoffs.

1 of 2

Since the early 2010s Cisco has repeatedly trimmed staff—3,000 jobs in 2011, 4,000 in 2013, 6,000 in 2014, and over 4,000 in February 2024—as market slowdown and fierce competition forced tighter cost controls. The same pressure spurred Microsoft to launch a 2024 severance program affecting tens of thousands of employees, illustrating a broader tech-industry shift toward large-scale layoffs.

1 / 2