Microsoft offers voluntary departures to 60,000 employees, 27% of the workforce

Microsoft has introduced a new voluntary exit plan for approximately 60,000 employees across the US, Canada, India, and the UK, aimed at adapting its workforce to evolving needs. This follows a previous plan offered to around 8,750 US employees six months ago. The new offer targets employees up to the vice president level, excluding certain roles in data centers, sales, and marketing. Those who accept the offer will receive severance-like benefits. The company anticipates fewer participants compared to the earlier plan, which saw about one-third of eligible employees accept. Microsoft has also reduced its workforce by 4,800 positions recently, marking a significant decrease since 2016, while investing heavily in data centers and AI-related technologies.