8 publishers · first seen Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:02 UTC · updated Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:04 UTC
Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to around 60,000 employees across the US, UK, Canada, and India, as part of efforts to reduce operating costs and shift resources toward AI. The move follows a year-over-year decline in headcount, with Microsoft employing 223,000 people as of June 30, down from 228,000 in 2025. Earlier in the year, a retirement offer was extended to 9,000 employees, with more than 30 percent accepting.
Chief executive Satya Nadella has previously stated that AI would lead to fewer employees, higher costs per employee, and greater AI resources for those remaining. The company continues to expand its AI offerings, with Copilot daily users growing nearly 50% in the quarter and more than 50 million AI agents now running in Agent 365, up 30% from the prior quarter.
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