Microsoft is offering a voluntary exit package to around 60,000 employees, or roughly 27% of its global workforce, as the company continues adjusting its workforce while investing heavily in artificial intelligence. The company announced the program on October 26, calling it a Voluntary Exit Offer. The 60,000 figure was reported by news outlets; Microsoft’s public announcement does not state a target number of departures.
The offer is available for a limited time to eligible employees in participating teams in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and India at internal level 70 and below. Microsoft Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said the program gives employees considering a future outside the company a supported way to leave. Eligible workers were told to expect an email with their individual offer details.
Which employees are eligible?
Participation depends on the organization and its business needs, customer commitments, and workforce priorities. Reuters reported that participating groups include AI experiences, Copilot, finance, human resources, Xbox, and Windows + Devices. Marketing, commercial business, and security were reported as excluded, although Microsoft’s public memo does not provide a complete list of participating teams.
Microsoft had about 223,000 full-time employees globally at the end of June 2026. That makes the reported eligible group more than a quarter of its workforce, but it does not mean 60,000 people will leave. The company has not publicly announced how many employees it expects to accept the offer.
AI spending adds cost pressure
The offer comes as Microsoft commits substantial capital to AI infrastructure, including data centers, while investors watch whether those investments will generate returns. The company’s memo frames the program as a way for participating organizations to adapt to changing workforce needs; it does not explicitly say AI spending caused the offer.
The program follows earlier workforce changes, including Microsoft’s July announcement that it would eliminate around 4,800 roles. For context, see Saganote’s report on Microsoft’s July 2026 Xbox restructuring and its coverage of AI-related job cuts in 2026.
Microsoft says the new offer builds on lessons from an earlier voluntary retirement program. The key distinction is that this is a voluntary exit option for eligible employees, not an announcement that 60,000 jobs will be cut.
