Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 employees amid AI investment

Microsoft is looking to shed a massive number of workers.

In a Monday blog post, the Windows and Xbox maker announced a voluntary buyout plan for its employees in Canada, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. While the blog post doesn’t provide a specific number, reporting from CBS News and other outlets indicates that about 60,000 employees (roughly a quarter of Microsoft’s global workforce) will receive the offer. That doesn’t mean all 60,000 will accept the offer, but it is a surefire sign that Microsoft feels the need to greatly reduce its human workforce.

“The Voluntary Exit Offer is new for us. We’ll learn from it,” Chief People Officer Amy Coleman wrote in the blog post. “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.”