Microsoft offers voluntary departure packages to about 60,000 employees, or 27% of its global workforce
10/31/2026 — 11/03, 14:19·2 sources (all)·2 reports (all)
Key takeaways
- Microsoft on Oct 26 rolled out a voluntary departure program to eligible employees in selected teams in the US, Canada, the UK and India, co…
Background & analysis
On October 31, 2026, The Decoder reported that Microsoft is offering voluntary severance packages to about 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its workforce. The piece noted that this is the second such program the company has launched this year.
The report added that Microsoft's headcount has held steady at around 223,000 since 2022, even as the company plans to spend about $170 billion on AI infrastructure in 2026 alone. Those are the only details the article provides so far; it does not cover eligibility criteria, severance terms, or what happens next. No other reports on this story have appeared yet.
AI-generated from 1 reports · updated 5 days ago
Latest turnMicrosoft announced on Oct 26 a voluntary exit offer for eligible staff in the US, Canada, the UK and India, covering about 27% of its global workforce and reaching up to level 70, including some vice presidents. Payouts match standard severance with no premium, and it is the company's second large voluntary departure program this year as it keeps spending heavily on AI infrastructure.
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Reports on this story headlines open the original
Microsoft announced on Oct 26 a voluntary exit offer for eligible staff in the US, Canada, the UK and India, covering about 27% of its global workforce and reaching up to level 70, including some vice presidents. Payouts match standard severance with no premium, and it is the company's second large voluntary departure program this year as it keeps spending heavily on AI infrastructure.
InfoQ 中文AI score 63
Microsoft is offering voluntary severance to about 60,000 employees, roughly a quarter of its workforce, in its second such program this year, The Decoder reports. Headcount has held near 223,000 since 2022 even as the company plans about $170 billion in AI infrastructure spending for 2026.
The DecoderAI score 60
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