Microsoft Offers Buyouts to Around 60,000 Employees, Reports Say

Microsoft is offering buyouts to around 60,000 employees, according to reports by Business Insider and Bloomberg. The move is part of the company’s latest efforts to cut costs and reshape its workforce for AI.

Employees at vice president level and below on selected teams in the U.S., Canada, India and the U.K. are eligible, the reports say. Some workers, including those in data centers, sales and marketing, are excluded.

Microsoft Chief People Officer Amy Coleman sent employees a note about the buyouts on Monday. It describes the Voluntary Exit Offer as a way to give employees more flexibility and help eligible workers considering a future outside the company make that transition with support.

Employees who accept will receive benefits similar to those in a standard severance package, according to the reports. Earlier this year, Microsoft offered buyouts to employees eligible for retirement. More than 30% of roughly 8,750 eligible workers accepted.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.