Microsoft’s 60,000-person buyout offer hints at a future with fewer workers and more equipment
Source: Fortune ·
The company says its new Voluntary Exit Offer is about putting “the right talent in the right places,” not cutting headcount—and outside economists largely agree.
From the source
In its 50-plus-year history, Microsoft has seen major workforce cuts. In July 2014, the company laid off some 18,000 employees; in January 2023, it cut 10,000 workers; and over the course of 2025, Microsoft let some 15,000 people go. Its latest move looks different. On Monday, Microsoft announced a Voluntary Exit Offer (VEO), a program widely described as a buyout, for up to 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its workforce. In a memo to employees that the company also published on its blog, Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief people officer, wrote that the VEO “gives eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support.” The memo states that the offer is available to “eligible employees in participating teams in Canada, India, the United Kingdom and the United States at level 70 and below.” (Microsoft’s internal career levels start at 59 for entry-level employees; level 70 reaches well…