Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees as it looks to control costs while expanding the infrastructure behind its artificial intelligence business.
The offer covers eligible employees in participating teams across the United States, Canada, India and the United Kingdom. It applies to workers at Microsoft’s internal level 70 or below, reaching as high as some vice president positions. Certain teams are excluded.
Microsoft has been pouring money into data centers and computing equipment to support its cloud services and growing demand from AI companies, including OpenAI and Anthropic. That expansion comes with a hefty bill, even for a company with Microsoft’s resources.
The new offer follows a smaller voluntary retirement program announced in April. More than 30% of employees eligible for that earlier program accepted, according to the company.
Microsoft’s chief people officer, Amy Coleman, said the latest program gives employees financial support and career planning resources if they choose to leave. According to CNBC’s report, employees will make their decisions in December, with departures scheduled for December 31.
The 60,000 figure represents employees who can take the offer, not confirmed departures. Microsoft reportedly has no specific participation target, so the final number leaving will depend on how many accept.
Leave a Reply