Microsoft is offering voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees. The limited-time program covers employees at level 70 and below in the United States, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom.
The offer comes shortly before Microsoft reports its fiscal first-quarter results on Wednesday. Investors will scrutinize the report to assess whether spending on AI is starting to pay off.
Microsoft voluntary buyouts include Copilot and Xbox teams, but exclude security teams
Chief People Officer Amy Coleman announced the program in an internal memo. The eligible group represents more than a quarter of the 223,000 full-time employees Microsoft reported on June 30.
A source told Reuters that teams in AI experiences, Copilot, Xbox, and Windows + Devices may participate. Marketing, commercial business, and security teams are excluded from the offer.
Coleman presented the program as an alternative for those already considering pursuing other career paths.
“… This offer gives eligible employees who are already thinking about pursuing a different path outside the company a new opportunity to make that transition now with support. It also gives participating organizations another way to adapt their teams to changing needs,” the memo says.
The memo does not mention payment amounts. Employees reportedly have until early December to decide, with departures scheduled for the end of the year.
This is the company’s third workforce-management move in 2026. Microsoft offered buyouts to about 9,000 employees in the U.S. early in the year and later cut 4,800 jobs in July.
Wall Street has punished Microsoft before for results that beat expectations
Microsoft will report its fiscal first-quarter 2027 results after the market closes on Wednesday. A BeInCrypto preview estimates earnings per share of about $4.71 and revenue of nearly $90.63 billion.
Microsoft shares closed Monday up 1.54% at $532.60. For the year to date, the stock is up 10.3%.
Beating estimates may not be enough. In January, Microsoft reported results that exceeded forecasts, but its shares fell 10% the following day, from $482.78 to $433.50. The decline erased $357 billion, marking the company’s largest single-day loss in market value.
Meta faced similar pressure in July. Spending on AI infrastructure, legal expenses, and layoff costs reduced the company’s operating margin from 43% to 31%.
Microsoft’s own spending continues to rise. The company is forecasting capital expenditures of $175 billion for calendar year 2026.
Wednesday’s report will test Azure’s performance against Microsoft’s forecast for growth of 44% to 45%. Investors will also be watching to see whether any costs related to the layoffs are recorded in the December quarter.
The article Microsoft opens the exit door to 60,000 employees days before financial results was first published on BeInCrypto Brasil.