Yesterday, Microsoft offered a voluntary departure scheme to approximately 60,000 employees—a move viewed as an effort to control operating costs in order to fund the company’s substantial investments in AI infrastructure and technology. This figure represents about 27% of Microsoft’s current total workforce.
The scheme is being offered to employees working within the Copilot, finance, human resources, Windows, Xbox, and AI experience divisions. Only staff in the marketing, commercial business, and security divisions are excluded from this offer.
Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s Chief Human Resources Officer, stated that the scheme provides an option for employees who wish to leave the company with appropriate support, while simultaneously allowing the organization to adjust its workforce to meet new requirements.
This marks yet another wave of workforce reductions at Microsoft. Last July, the company laid off 4,800 employees as part of a corporate restructuring effort. Those directly affected included staff under the Xbox division, which also resulted in the closure of several studios.
