THE SHORT VERSION

Microsoft offered buyouts to 60,000 workers — a quarter of its staff

Satirical cartoon: Merv the worried robot, in a suit at a Microsoft desk, hands a golden envelope labeled VOLUNTARY EXIT to a worried employee with a backpack, while behind him a giant shark-mouthed AI data center gobbles a conveyor belt of dollar bills; a tabby cat watches from the desk. — Machine Age Cartoon · Zimbo

Microsoft is offering a new Voluntary Exit Offer to about 60,000 employees — roughly a quarter of its 223,000-person workforce — in the US, Canada, the UK and India, the company confirmed to GeekWire. The offer covers participating teams including AI experiences and Copilot, Xbox, Windows + Devices, finance and HR, and reaches some executives up to level 70.

Chief people officer Amy Coleman told staff the offer gives employees “a new choice to make that transition now with support,” and Microsoft says it expects a much smaller take-up than the roughly 30% who accepted its spring retirement offer. Employees have until early December to decide and would leave later that month.

The move comes as Microsoft spends heavily on AI infrastructure — $41 billion in capital expenditures last quarter, with analysts expecting $51 billion this quarter — and the company reports first-quarter results Wednesday.