微软向约6万名员工提供自愿离职方案，AI基建投入同步加码
Microsoft’s Massive Employee Buyout Shows How AI Is Reshaping the Economy
微软宣布向美国、加拿大、印度和英国职级70及以下的约6万名员工提供自愿离职方案，约占其员工总数的四分之一，公司未说明最终接受人数。此前微软披露2026财年在物业和设备上投入约1160亿美元，主要用于云与AI数据中心，比2025财年多约500亿美元。据彭博报道，此次方案涉及Xbox、Windows、Copilot和财务等团队，不包括部分数据中心、销售和市场人员。
正文
Following billions in AI investments last fiscal year, Microsoft announced Monday that it is offering buyouts to roughly 60,000 employees, about a quarter of its workforce, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC. The voluntary exit offer applies to staff at experience level 70 or below across the US, Canada, India and the UK.
According to Microsoft, the move is tailored to give “eligible employees who may be considering a future outside the company a new choice to make that transition now with support.” Microsoft didn’t say how many employee buyouts it will accept, though it’s likely fewer than those offered the deal. The company didn’t immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.
The move comes a few months after Microsoft reported it invested about $116 billion in property and equipment — largely for cloud and AI data-center capacity — in the 2026 fiscal year, about $50 billion more compared with the 2025 fiscal year. Microsoft’s operating income increased by about $30 billion between the 2026 and 2025 fiscal years.
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In September, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft is planning on tripling its computing power in the coming years, which could result in the company using more energy than all of New York City at peak hours.
The buyout affects teams including Xbox, Windows, Copilot and finance, but excludes certain data-center, sales and marketing staff, according to Bloomberg. Xbox already cut 1,600 employees in July in one round of layoffs, and another round is expected before June 2027. The voluntary exit offers show that Microsoft is prioritizing infrastructure buildout, automation and capital efficiency over hiring.
Employment in AI-exposed roles such as software development and customer experience has fallen by more than 4% this year, while roles that rely on AI automation are showing slower job growth, according to Stanford HAI’s Digital Economy Lab. Though AI might not yet be eliminating jobs at scale, companies are spending billions on compute while becoming far more selective about adding personnel.
Zachary McAuliffe
Senior writer
Zach began writing for CNET in November, 2021 after writing for a broadcast news station in his hometown, Cincinnati, for five years. You can usually find him hanging out with his wife, son and dog. You can reach him at zmcauliffe@cnet.com.
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