Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to employees across its global operations, according to an announcement made by the company's chief people officer on Monday. The initiative is described as a time-limited, voluntary program designed to provide eligible staff with the opportunity to leave the company while receiving financial support and access to career planning resources.
Approximately 60,000 employees are reported to be eligible for the program. This latest development follows a series of workforce adjustments at the tech giant as it continues to shift its strategic focus and reduce costs in the ongoing era of artificial intelligence.
In July, Microsoft announced the elimination of roughly 4,800 roles, representing approximately 2.1% of its global workforce at that time. Those previous reductions were primarily concentrated within the company's commercial and Xbox gaming divisions. Additionally, Microsoft offered some staff the option to retire early earlier this year. The company stated that more than 30% of those eligible for that early retirement scheme chose to participate, and it indicated that it would continue to explore similar approaches in the future.
Around 60,000 staff are reported to be eligible.
