11:18Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani
Microsoft Offers 60,000 Employees Voluntary Departures
Microsoft wants to cut costs and adapt its workforce structure to the era of artificial intelligence (AI). The company is therefore offering approximately 60,000 employees the option to leave voluntarily. The program was announced on October 26, 2026, and covers more than 25 percent of its global workforce. At the end of June, Microsoft had 223,000 employees.
The offer applies to employees on selected teams in the US, Canada, India, and the UK. Employees at level 70 or below in the company’s internal job hierarchy are eligible to participate in the program. They include some vice presidents and general managers. The Xbox, Windows, Copilot, and finance divisions are included in the program. However, some employees working in data centers and on sales and marketing teams will not be eligible for the offer. Eligible employees were emailed a link with details of the offer on October 26. The package is similar to the standard severance benefits the company provides to laid-off employees. It includes financial support and assistance with planning their future careers. Microsoft expects only a portion of the 60,000 employees to accept the offer. Employees who decline may be laid off later. This is the first time the company has implemented such a program.
Earlier this year, Microsoft made a similar offer to approximately 8,750 employees who had reached retirement age. Of those, 30 percent, or approximately 2,600 people, agreed to leave early. The company later laid off approximately 4,800 people, reducing its total workforce by 2 percent. Approximately 1,600 of those laid off worked in the Xbox division. The new program could allow Microsoft to reduce its workforce without immediately launching mass layoffs. The company is spending heavily on data centers and artificial intelligence systems during 2026. The amount is approximately $175 billion (297.5 billion manats). Microsoft has opened approximately 90 high-capacity data centers this year. The voluntary departure offer was announced several days before the release of its next quarterly financial results.
The offer applies to employees on selected teams in the US, Canada, India, and the UK. Employees at level 70 or below in the company’s internal job hierarchy are eligible to participate in the program. They include some vice presidents and general managers. The Xbox, Windows, Copilot, and finance divisions are included in the program. However, some employees working in data centers and on sales and marketing teams will not be eligible for the offer. Eligible employees were emailed a link with details of the offer on October 26. The package is similar to the standard severance benefits the company provides to laid-off employees. It includes financial support and assistance with planning their future careers. Microsoft expects only a portion of the 60,000 employees to accept the offer. Employees who decline may be laid off later. This is the first time the company has implemented such a program. Earlier this year, Microsoft made a similar offer to approximately 8,750 employees who had reached retirement age. Of those, 30 percent, or approximately 2,600 people, agreed to leave early. The company later laid off approximately 4,800 people, reducing its total workforce by 2 percent. Approximately 1,600 of those laid off worked in the Xbox division. The new program could allow Microsoft to reduce its workforce without immediately launching mass layoffs. The company is spending heavily on data centers and artificial intelligence systems during 2026. The amount is approximately $175 billion (297.5 billion manats). Microsoft has opened approximately 90 high-capacity data centers this year. The voluntary departure offer was announced several days before the release of its next quarterly financial results.