Microsoft offers voluntary buyouts to thousands as AI spending surges

Microsoft is preparing its first voluntary buyout program in the US, offering paid exits to employees whose age and years of service total 70 or more, potentially affecting up to 7 percent of its domestic workforce. With around 125,000 US employees, as many as 8,750 people could be eligible when the program begins in May. The move follows major layoffs in 2025 and appears tied to Microsoft’s massive AI infrastructure spending, which reached $37.5 billion in Q2 2026. The company frames the buyouts as a way for long-tenured employees to transition on their own terms while it reallocates resources toward AI growth.

Read the full story on Engadget →