Microsoft offers buyouts to 60,000 employees as AI spending climbs

Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees. That is more than a quarter of the software giant’s global workforce, announced on a Monday as the company tries to rein in costs. The goal is to keep expenses in check while Microsoft funds a massive buildout of artificial intelligence. Who gets the offer, and who doesn’t The program was announced on October 26, 2026. It targets roughly 27% of a workforce that numbers about 223,000 people. Eligibility is limited to employees at level 70 and below, Microsoft’s internal job grading system. The offer covers staff in the US, Canada, the UK and India. A source familiar with the matter told Reuters which units are included. The source requested anonymity because the matter was private. The eligible list reads like a tour of Microsoft’s consumer and corporate machinery: AI experiences Copilot Finance Human resources Xbox Windows + Devices The excluded list is just as telling. Marketing, commercial business and security are off the table, according to the same source. Some data center functions are also excluded. The terms of the deal The offer was laid out in an internal memo from Chief People Officer Amy Coleman. Employe...