Microsoft Offers Voluntary Buyouts to 60,000 Employees Amid AI Investment
The software giant's voluntary exit offer is available in Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Microsoft has offered voluntary buyouts to approximately 60,000 employees, representing about 27% of its global workforce, as the company intensifies its investment in artificial intelligence. The software giant announced the initiative on Monday, with the offer extended to eligible employees in Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
In a blog post, Chief People Officer Amy Coleman described the Voluntary Exit Offer as a new initiative for the company, stating, “We’ll learn from it. At the same time, we’ll keep helping people focus on the work that matters most, build new skills and, where it makes sense, find new opportunities across Microsoft.”
Microsoft, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, is scheduled to release its quarterly financial performance on Wednesday. As of the end of June, the company employed approximately 223,000 full-time staff. The company's shares reached an all-time high this month.
This move follows previous workforce adjustments. In May, Microsoft reportedly planned to offer buyouts to about 8,750 employees, or 7% of its U.S. workforce. In July, the company confirmed it was cutting 4,800 jobs, accounting for about 2.1% of its global workforce, a significant portion of which affected workers in its Xbox video game business.