Microsoft announced a voluntary exit program October 26, offering eligible employees financial support and career-planning resources if they choose to leave.

About 60,000 employees are eligible, according to Associated Press reporting by Michelle Chapman. That is an eligibility figure, not 60,000 layoffs or confirmed departures.

In its official announcement, Chief People Officer Amy Coleman said the time-limited offer covers eligible employees at internal level 70 and below in participating teams in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and India.

Some organizations are participating and others are not. Microsoft said availability depends on business priorities, customer commitments and workforce needs. Eligible employees are receiving their individual offer details by email.

The company described the program as a way to support employees considering a future elsewhere while allowing participating organizations to adapt their staffing. It said the initiative builds on lessons from its earlier voluntary retirement program.

The announcement comes amid Microsoft’s investment in artificial intelligence, as AP reports. That context does not establish that AI directly replaced the eligible employees’ jobs. The number who will accept the offer remains separate from the number invited to consider it.

Sources: Microsoft’s official announcement; additional reporting by Michelle Chapman, Associated Press. Checked October 27, 2026.

Siri Alexander
Published by WHH Media Company