Microsoft is offering about 60,000 employees the opportunity to voluntarily leave for compensation. The program is available to employees from select teams in the US, Canada, India and the UK and is part of the company's restructuring amid increasing investments in artificial intelligence.
The offer, called the Voluntary Exit Offer, is temporary and applies to employees at level 70 and below in Microsoft's internal system. Approved candidates will receive financial support and resources for career planning. The company said the program is not available to all teams.
“This offer gives employees who are considering a future outside the company a new opportunity to take that step now, with support for the transition,“ said Amy Coleman, executive vice president and general manager of “Human Resources“ at Microsoft.Coleman said participating organizations will have another way to adapt their workforce to changing needs. Eligible employees should receive an email with information about the specific terms of the offer. The amount of compensation and the timelines for individual participants have not been announced publicly.
Participation depends on the specific team, business priorities, customer commitments and staffing needs. This means that the offer is not automatically extended to all Microsoft employees in the four countries.
About 27% of global workforce
As of June 30, 2026, Microsoft had about 223,000 full-time employees worldwide. About 121,000 of those work in the United States and 102,000 are outside the country. If all of the approximately 60,000 eligible employees accept the offer, that would represent about 27% of the company's global workforce. However, that doesn't mean everyone will leave.
In July, Microsoft announced the layoffs of about 4,800 jobs, a significant portion of which affected the Xbox division. The company also announced changes to the division's structure as it restructures its gaming business.
Focus on AI
The new program comes as Microsoft is increasing its spending on AI and related infrastructure. A similar shift in resources has led to layoffs and voluntary exit programs at other major technology companies.
Microsoft has not announced how many employees it expects to take the offer or whether the program will be followed by further mandatory layoffs. It has been confirmed that the terms will vary depending on the organization and the specific needs of the business.