Microsoft offered voluntary exit to approximately 60,000 employees

On October 26, 2026, Microsoft launched the Voluntary Exit Offer program, proposing voluntary departure with financial support to approximately 60,000 employees—about a quarter of its 223,000-person workforce—in the US, Canada, India, and the UK.

Compiled by Sergey KostenchukPublished 2026-10-28Updated 2026-10-28

2026-10-28 Business Microsoft

💼 Microsoft offered paid exit to 60,000 employees

The Voluntary Exit Offer program opened on October 26, 2026: US, Canada, India, and the UK; levels 70 and below, up to Vice Presidents; divisions include Xbox, Windows, Copilot, and Finance. The decision deadline is early December, with the last working day being December 31.

🌍 Microsoft explains the move as workforce flexibility amid rising AI capital expenditures: over $50 billion is expected for the quarter ending September, compared to $34.9 billion a year earlier, while free cash flow fell by 23% to $19.64 billion.

👤 About a quarter of the workforce may leave with compensation rather than through forced layoffs: more than 30% of the 8,750 eligible employees accepted a similar program in April. This signals a workforce restructuring for the AI era; Microsoft’s earnings report is scheduled for October 28.

Source 1: https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2026/10/26/introducing-a-voluntary-exit-offer/ Source 2: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/26/microsoft-msft-voluntary-buyouts.html

Sources