Microsoft has announced a voluntary buyout programme for about 60,000 employees, more than a quarter of its global workforce, to manage expenses and support ongoing AI investments, according to Reuters. The offer applies to eligible staff in Canada, India, the UK and the US at level 70 and below, across divisions including AI experiences, finance, Copilot, human resources, Xbox and Windows + Devices, while marketing, commercial business and security are excluded. It follows an earlier buyout offer to around 9,000 US employees (7% of the American workforce) and 4,800 job cuts in July, about 2.1% of global headcount. The company has a reported forecast of $175bn in capital expenditures for calendar 2026, and it employed 223,000 full-time staff as of 30 June 2026.
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MSFT
▲ Likely positiveMicrosoft
Relevance: medium
| Market | US stocks |
|---|---|
| Sector | Information Technology |
| Industry | Systems Software |
| Market cap | $3.9T |
| Close on 10/26/2026 | 532.75 |
| Change that session | +1.57% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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