Microsoft launches voluntary departure program for about 60,000 employees; AI capital expenditure up about 80% in a year
Microsoft announced a large-scale voluntary departure program under which about 60,000 employees can choose to leave with severance compensation or stay, accounting for roughly a quarter of its 223,000 full-time employees; this is the first time Microsoft has launched such a program. Microsoft did not disclose the expected participation rate, so the actual scale of headcount reduction remains unknown. The report also mentioned that its AI capital expenditure increased by about 80% in a year.
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Microsoft has introduced a voluntary departure program covering about a quarter of its full-time employees for the first time, which can be read alongside the concurrent expansion of AI capital expenditure to observe the scale of workforce restructuring.
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2026-10-27 18:45:35 Source: Caixin.com Author: Ge Haoyue Editor-in-Charge: Qu Yunxu
By Caixin's Ge Haoyue (Intern)
October 27, 2026 18:45
Microsoft launches its first voluntary departure program covering about 60,000 people, with personnel changes proceeding in parallel with rapid capital expenditure expansion
Microsoft Chief Human Resources Officer Amy Coleman said in an internal letter posted on the official blog that day that the program is aimed at employees in participating organizations, offering new options to "people who may be considering leaving the company in the future" and giving participating organizations "one more way to adapt to workforce needs." Image: Visual China
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[Caixin.com] At around midnight Beijing time on October 27, Microsoft announced a large-scale Voluntary Exit Offer. About 60,000 employees will receive the offer and can choose to take a severance package and leave the company, or stay in their current positions. A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the number of people who can choose independently accounts for about one quarter of Microsoft's 223,000 full-time employees. This is the first time Microsoft has launched such a program, and it is also its largest workforce contraction move of the year. The actual scale of headcount reduction under this program remains unknown. Microsoft did not disclose the expected participation rate; ultimately, how many people leave depends on employees' own choices.
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